The Broadway Stage Hands Obama Color Guard

RIP AMERICAN HERO VERNON BAKER

2010-07-18T23:31:00.001-04:00

Vernon Baker Dies at 90, Awarded Medal of Honor 50 Years After WWII Action

Afro American - ‎Jul 17, 2010‎

by AFRO Staff This January 1998 picture shows Vernon Baker in his rural cabin near St. Maries, Idaho. Baker, one of the few black soldiers to earn the ...

2010-07-18T23:30:00.001-04:00

Vernon J. Baker, African American Medal of Honor recipient, dies at 90

Washington Post - Rees Shapiro - ‎Jul 14, 2010‎

First Lt. Vernon J. Baker, 90, an Army infantryman who, more than 50 years after the end of World War II, became the only

APOLLO THEATRE'S WALK OF FAME

2010-05-12T21:41:00.001-04:00

Harlem's Apollo Theater unveils own walk of fame, featuring likes of James ...

New York Daily News - Simone Weichselbaum - ‎May 11, 2010‎

The famed Apollo Theater unveiled a boulevard of stars along W. 125th St. Monday - featuring musical icons like James Brown and Patti ...

APOLLO THEATRE'S OWN WALK OF FAME

2010-05-12T21:39:00.001-04:00

Apollo Walk Of Fame

Apollo Theater Walk Of Fame

Updated: Monday, 10 May 2010, 12:41 PM EDT
Published : Monday, 10 May 2010, 12:41 PM EDT

MYFOXNY.COM STAFF REPORT

MYFOXNY.COM - Harlem's legendary Apollo Theater is starting a walk of fame on 125th Street.

Plaques for Quincy Jones, Patti LaBelle, Smokey Robinson, James Brown, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Little Richard, and Ella Fitzgerald are being installed in the inaugural ceremony.

Michael Jackson and Aretha Franklin will be honored in June.

The walk will honor legendary performers with close ties to the institution.

Each year at the non-profit Theater's Spring Gala Benefit, legendary musicians, artists, and entertainers whose path to fame included the Apollo are inducted into the Apollo Legends Hall of Fame.

"The Walk of Fame is our way of paying tribute to the Apollo Legends who have forever altered the American entertainment landscape," said Jonelle Procope, President and CEO of the Apollo Theater. "The Apollo Theater is one of Harlem's, New York City's, and America's most iconic and enduring cultural institutions and is one of New York's most visited tourist destinations in the world's most famous neighborhood. We're proud to unveil this new and unique New York City landmark, which adds one more reason why the Apollo is a destination for music lovers around the world."

The Apollo theater is celebrating its 75th anniversary year. The non-profit Apollo Theater received state and city landmark designation in 1983 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

LENA HORNE TOP OF ANY CLASS

2010-05-10T12:59:00.000-04:00

"You have to be taught to be second class; you're not born that way." Lena Horne

Lena Horne photographed
by Carl Van Vechten, 1941

From wikpedia:
Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (born June 30, 1917), is an iconic American singer and actress. She has recorded and performed extensively, independently and with other jazz notables, including Artie Shaw, Teddy Wilson, Billy Strayhorn, Duke Ellington, and Charlie Barnet. She currently lives in New York City and no longer makes public appearances.

Lena Horne was born in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York. She grew up in an upper middle class black community. Her father, Edwin "Teddy" Horne, who worked in the gambling trade, left the family when she was three. Her mother, Edna Scottron, was the daughter of inventor Samuel R. Scottron; she was an actress with an African American theater troupe and traveled extensively. Horne was mainly raised by her grandparents, Cora Calhoun and Edwin Horne. Her uncle, Frank S. Horne, was an adviser to Franklin Delano Roosevelt. She is a reported descendant of the John C. Calhoun family.

Learn more about Lena Horne, and see her perform, at lena-horne.com.

2010-05-10T12:57:00.001-04:00

Remembering Lena Horne: 1917 - 2010

Washington Post - ‎1 hour ago‎

The iconic singer and actress's career spanned six decades, helping to break down racial barriers for women of color in Hollywood. Born on June 30, 1917, Lena Horne was considered one of the most beautiful women in the world. She came to the attention ...

2010-05-10T12:56:00.001-04:00

Lena Horne's death at age 92 casts a shadow over Broadway where she shone for ...

New York Daily News - David Hinckley - ‎1 hour ago‎

Lena Horne in the 1990s (l.) and in her heyday in the 1940s (r.). The Broadway star and Hollywood actress, who grew up in Bedford-Stuyvesant, died at age 92 in New York. Lena Horne (as the Bronze Venus) and Ralph Cooper in the "The ...

2010-05-10T12:55:00.000-04:00

Lena Horne, Singer and Actress, Dies at 92

New York Times - Aljean Harmetz - ‎9 hours ago‎

Lena Horne, who was the first black performer to be signed to a long-term contract by a major Hollywood studio and who went on to achieve international fame as a singer, died on Sunday night at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell ...

2010-05-10T12:54:00.001-04:00

Liza Minnelli Releases Statement on Lena Horne

Broadway World - ‎1 hour ago‎

My father discovered Lena Horne and brought her to Hollywood to star in "Cabin in the Sky," which has throughout the years owned the position as being the first elegant and unique all black movie. It made Lena a star. I knew her from the time I was ...

2010-05-10T12:52:00.000-04:00

Legend Lena Horne, dies at 92

Afro American - ‎2 hours ago‎

by AFRO Staff Check out related stories, research geneologies, or peruse all that our archives have to offer. African-American song bird and actress Lena Horne died on the evening of May 9 at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. She was 92 years old. ...

DOROTHY HEIGHT, "DRUM MAJOR FOR FREEDOM"

2010-04-29T12:16:00.001-04:00

Civil Rights Leader Is Eulogized by Obama

Doug Mills/The New York Times

President Obama during the funeral for civil rights activist Dorothy Height at the National Cathedral in Washington on Thursday.

By HELENE COOPER

Published: April 29, 2010

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WASHINGTON — President Obama eulogized civil rights leader Dorothy Height on Thursday as a “drum major for freedom,” describing the civil rights and women’s rights leader as an American icon who pursued justice tirelessly.

The latest on President Obama, his administration and other news from Washington and around the nation. Join the discussion.

Ms. Height, who died April 20 at 98, had an “unambiguous record of righteous work,” Mr. Obama said during Ms. Height’s funeral at Washington National Cathedral. Mr. Obama drew frequent chuckes from the audience with a fondly humorous portrait of the feisty Ms. Height.

“When you have a nephew who’s 88, you’ve lived a full life,” Mr. Obama said.

“We did come to know her during the early days of my campaign, and we came to love her as so many loved her,” the president said. “We loved her stories, and her smile, and those hats.”

He said that Ms. Height was a constant presence at the White House. “She came by not once, not twice,” he said. “Twenty-one times she stopped by the White House.”

Ms. Height, who even in the last months of her life took part in health care discussions at the White House, had been scheduled to come by in February for a meeting between Mr. Obama and civil rights leaders, he recalled.

Even though Washington was buried by a blizzard, he said, Ms. Height wanted to come anyway. “She was not about to let a bunch of men in this meeting. It was only when the car literally could not get to the driveway that she decided not to come.”

Ms. Height was widely viewed as one of the last links to the social activism of the New Deal era. Her civil rights career spanned almost a century, from anti-lynching protests to culminate with the inauguration of President Obama. She has recounted for reporters first meeting Martin Luther King when he was 15 years old, and was on the stage when Dr. King delivered his historic “I have a dream” speech in 1963.

Mr. Obama ordered American flags to be flown at half-staff on Thursday in Ms. Height’s honor.

2010-04-20T23:30:00.000-04:00

Dorothy Height, 'godmother' of civil rights, dies at 98

CNN - ‎12 hours ago‎

By the CNN Wire Staff Washington (CNN) -- Dorothy Height, a leading civil rights pioneer of the 1960s, died Tuesday at age 98, Howard University Hospital ...

2010-04-20T23:29:00.001-04:00

Dorothy Height, 'godmother of the civil rights movement'

The Guardian (blog) - ‎5 hours ago‎

Dorothy Height, right, alongside Martin Luther King delivering his 'I have a dream' speech at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963. Photograph: AP Dorothy Height, ...

2010-04-20T23:28:00.000-04:00

Dorothy Height: civil rights activist and author

Christian Science Monitor - Marjorie Kehe - ‎8 hours ago‎

Dorothy Height chronicled her lifelong fight against racism and sexism in her 2003 memoir "Open Wide the Freedom Gates." One reviewer called Dorothy ...

2010-04-19T13:26:00.001-04:00

Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)

Your morning jolt: Behind Michael Thurmond's run for the US Senate

Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) - Jim Galloway - ‎2 hours ago‎

Baker, while he has differed with other African-Americans in the party over such volatile issues as Genarlow Wilson, has a legitimate cl

2010-04-19T13:25:00.001-04:00

The Voice

I won't vote this election, but I'm still backing Ms Abbott

The Voice - Darcus Howe - ‎11 hours ago‎

They built support from within our communities, organised around black issues that affected our daily lives, made alliances with th

2010-04-19T13:23:00.003-04:00

The Black Agenda: Wealth-Building Must Top the List – Dr. Boyce Money

FavStocks (blog) - ‎17 hours ago‎

I recently attended the “Measuring the Movement” national leadership forum, hosted by Rev. Al Sharpton and the National Action Network. ...

2010-04-19T13:23:00.001-04:00

Obama Writes Letter To Al Sharpton Praising National Action Conference

News One - Casey Gane-McCalla - ‎Apr 17, 2010‎

Congratulations to you and the National Action Network for another year of fighting for the rights of those who ...

2010-04-19T13:21:00.001-04:00

Jury Finds LI Teen Guilty Of Killing Ecuadorian Immigrant

NY1 - ‎1 hour ago‎

A Long Island jury has found a teenager guilty of killing an Ecuadorian immigrant two years ago. Jeffrey Conroy, 19, was convicted today of manslaughter as a hate crime in the November 2008 death of Marcelo Lucero. After deliberating for four days, ...

2010-03-08T00:48:00.001-05:00

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led protesters on a march from Selma, Ala., to Montgomery, Ala.

Selma March 2007

2010-03-08T00:45:00.000-05:00

Clinton, Obama Commemorate Historic Selma March

SELMA, AL - MARCH 04: Presidential candidate (L-R) Senator Barack Obama (D-IL), Congressman John Lewis (D-GA), Presidential candidate Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and her husband, former president Bill Clinton march with a crowd to the Edmund Pettus Bridge to commemorate the 1965 'Bloody Sunday' Voting Rights march March 4, 2007 in Selma, Alabama. In the 1965 march, which was to go from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama police beat back the marchers when they reached the Pettus Bridge.

Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Mar 04, 2007

2010-03-08T00:41:00.003-05:00

Bloody Sunday History Lesson

CBS42 - Kimberly Rankin - ‎1 hour ago‎

Children of all ages marched across the Edmond Pettus Bridge in Selma this Bloody Sunday, many for their first time. Their parents wanted to instill in them this piece of American history. “I wanted to cross the bridge with my children because it was a ...

2010-03-08T00:41:00.001-05:00

'Jubilee' to put focus on education

Montgomery Advertiser - Alvin Benn - ‎Mar 5, 2010‎

SELMA -- Segregated water fountains and voting inequities were key civil rights issues in the 1960s, but the focus today is on education, which will be a theme of this year's Bridge Crossing ...

2010-03-08T00:40:00.001-05:00

Statement from DNC Chairman Tim Kaine on the 45th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday

PR Newswire (press release) - ‎6 hours ago‎

"This weekend marks the 45th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, where some 600 civil rights marchers attempted to walk from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. They had only made it about six blocks, to the Edmund Pettus Bridge, when the marchers were met with ...

2010-03-08T00:39:00.001-05:00

45 years after Selma civil rights march, some see ways to go

USA Today - Sebastian Kitchen - ‎50 minutes ago‎

SELMA — Robert Powell and Maria Gitin had not seen each other in 45 years until Sunday, more than four decades after they rode a donkey together through rural Wilcox County to register voters. ...

Selma 45 Years Later

2010-03-08T00:37:00.000-05:00

Thousands cross Edmund Pettus Bridge in commemoration of Bloody Sunday in Selma

al.com (blog) - Chuck Dean - ‎8 hours ago‎

Thousands of people walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, Sunday, March 7, 2010, for the annual Bridge Crossing Jubilee at Selma, Ala., in commemoration of Bloody Sunday. (The Birmingham News /Tamika Moore) A crowd ...

2010-02-16T12:33:00.000-05:00

THANK YOU JIMMI FOR THE WORK AT THE MUSIC HALL

MOVE THE SHOW TO BROADWAY!

2010-02-16T12:31:00.002-05:00

Black Angels Over Tuskegee Opens Off-Broadway Feb. 15

By Andrew Gans
15 Feb 2010

The Off-Broadway production of Black Angels Over Tuskegee officially opens at St. Luke's Theatre Feb. 15 following previews that began Jan. 29.

Written and directed by Layon Gray, the cast features Lamman Rucker (Tyler Perry's "Why Did I Get Married?" and "Meet the Browns"), Demetrius Gross, Thom Scott II, Antonio Charity, Layon Gray, David Wendell Boykins, Derek Shaun, Jay Jones and Rich Skidmore.

In Black Angels Over Tuskegee, which is based on true events, "six men explore their collective struggle with Jim Crow, their intelligence, patriotism, dreams of an inclusive fair society, and brotherhood as they become the first African American fighter pilots in the U.S. Army Air Forces," according to press notes.

Black Angels Over Tuskegee is being produced Off-Broadway by The Black Gents, Edmund Gaynes and The Layon Gray Experience.

Performances are Monday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 PM, and Sundays at 5 PM.

Tickets, priced $31.50 and $56.50, are available through Telecharge.com or by calling (212) 239-6200. St. Luke's Theatre is located in Manhattan at 308 West 46th Street.


Black Angels Over Tuskegee stars (sitting:) Demetrius Grosse, David Wendell Boykins, Derek Shaun, (standing) Thom Scott II, Lamman Rucker and Layon Gray
photo by Alexandria Marlin

Click Here to Buy Tickets to This Show

MJ'S DOCTOR CHARGED WITH INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER, ORDERED NOT TO SEDATE ANYBODY BY JUDGE AS BAIL POSTED

2010-02-08T23:59:00.001-05:00

In Pictures: 'Michael Jackson Doctor Arrives for Court'

Monsters and Critics.com - James Wray - ‎5 hours ago‎

Michael Jackson's personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray (C) arrives at the Los Angeles Superior Court Airport Courthouse ...

2010-01-17T22:52:00.001-05:00

Obama honors King, reflects on faith

Washington Post - ‎1 hour ago‎

Pres. Barack Obama urged his audience at Washington's Vermont Avenue Baptist Church to "get back to basics" as Americans face the challenges of a new age. ...

HOME BOY DENZEL!

2010-01-13T14:19:00.000-05:00

Theatre is Denzel Washington's priority now

Real Bollywood (blog) - ‎Jan 12, 2010‎

Washington, who is set to appear on broadway in April with August Wilson's 'Fences', admits that he has become disillusioned with the movie industry and now ...

2010-01-13T14:18:00.001-05:00

Attorney General Targets Financial Fraud

WebCPA - ‎Jan 8, 2010‎

By WebCPA Staff Attorney General Eric Holder said a newly established government task force would crack down on the kinds of financial fraud that led to the ...

2010-01-13T14:17:00.001-05:00

Holder: Palm Beach Is Madoff 'Ground Zero'

ABC News - Matthew Mosk - ‎Jan 9, 2010‎

Attorney General Eric Holder declared financial fraud "one of the greatest and most glaring threats facing our economy" at a speech to ...

2009-12-27T22:36:00.001-05:00

Percy Sutton dies at 89

World News - ‎13 hours ago‎

By Agencies New York: Percy Sutton dies at 89: Percy Sutton, a renowned political power broker and media mogul died here at 89. Sutton was a mentor and one of New York's and United States' most influential African-American leaders. ...

2009-12-27T22:34:00.001-05:00

Percy Sutton, Eminent Politician, Dies at 89

New York Times - Douglas Martin - ‎20 hours ago‎

Percy E. Sutton, a pioneering figure who represented Malcolm X as a young lawyer and became one of the nation's most prominent black political and business leaders, died in a Manhattan nursing home on Saturday, his family said. .

WE WILL MISS YOU BELOVED PERCY SUTTON

2009-12-27T22:30:00.000-05:00

Harlem Trailblazer Percy Sutton Dead At 89

NY1 - Natasha Ghoneim - ‎5 hours ago‎

City leaders and residents are remembering the life and contributions of civil rights attorney, entrepreneur and politician Percy Sutton who died Saturday at the age of 89. NY1's Natasha Ghoneim filed the following report. The Apollo Theater might not ...

2009-12-22T21:22:00.001-05:00

FBI investigated Michael Jackson for 10 years

CBC.ca - ‎4 hours ago‎

Pop star Michael Jackson, shown in November 2007, was under investigation by the FBI for at least 10 years before he faced child molestation charges in 2003. (Danny Moloshok/Associated Press) Police in the southern California city where pop star ...

2009-12-22T21:20:00.000-05:00

Atlanta rapper TI released from prison

Examiner.com - ‎6 hours ago‎

Atlanta rapper TI., born Clifford Harris Jr, has been released from an Arkansas federal prison. He is said to be reporting to Dismas Charities Atlanta West correctional center tonight, where he will spend the remaining three months of his sentence. ...

2009-12-22T21:19:00.001-05:00

YouTube video claims “HP Computers Are Racist”

Gizmo News - ‎19 hours ago‎

By Agencies New Delhi: YouTube video claims “HP Computers Are Racist”: A YouTube video has claimed that “HP Computers Are Racist”. In a 2 minutes video, ...

2009-12-22T21:17:00.001-05:00

Alaina Reed Hall 'Sesame Street' beloved character Olivia Robinson has died at 63

Examiner.com - ‎Dec 21, 2009‎

December 21, 2009 -- Alaina Reed Hall, a beloved character that graced Sesame Street for years, has died in Santa Monica on December 18. ...

2009-12-21T19:33:00.001-05:00

Tiger's lonely days of cereal, 'toons - and night golf

New York Post - Lukas I. Alpert - ‎Dec 18, 2009‎

After all that time cavorting with an endless stream of floozies, Tiger Woods is now just a sad lone wolf. The golf great has been spending his days in seclusion -- eating cereal and watching cartoons -- and his nights hitting golf ...

2009-12-21T19:30:00.000-05:00

Blacks Have Less 'Bad Fat' Than Whites

Atlanta Journal Constitution - ‎8 hours ago‎

The study appears in the January issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Despite the tendency to have less visceral fat, black Americans are ...

2009-12-21T19:27:00.001-05:00

is this hp webcam racist?

Technabob (blog) - ‎11 hours ago‎

Meet Desi. He's in front of an HP MediaSmart computer, which has a fancy face tracking software that allows its webcam to follow your face within the ...

2009-12-17T21:16:00.001-05:00

Tri State Defender

The 10 Best Black Books of 2009

Tri State Defender - Kam Williams - ‎4 hours ago‎

He addresses the pressing issue head on and in incendiary fashion in a controversial manner certain to generate thought-provoking debate.

CBC demands fair share for African Americans Tri State Defender

2009-12-17T21:14:00.000-05:00

New York Daily News

Ashanti's mother couldn't escape alleged stalker Devar Hurd's relentless x ...

New York Daily News - Jose Martinez - ‎6 hours ago‎

Tina Douglas, mother of R&B star Ashanti, leaves a Manhattan court Thursday following her testimony. Ashanti's mom first tried to ignore ...

2009-12-17T21:12:00.000-05:00

Chippewa Herald

Black leaders urge census to change how it counts inmates

Washington Post - Carol Morello - ‎Dec 16, 2009‎

Locke, whose department houses the Census Bureau, did not directly address the prison issue after the meeting. Instead, he referred to other issues that ...

2009-12-06T13:02:00.001-05:00

Sydney Morning Herald

Black princess role a major leap for animation

San Francisco Chronicle - Michael Ordoña - ‎Dec 5, 2009‎

Once a queen of San Francisco stages, then a conquering heroine on Broadway and a bona fide Dreamgirl, Anika Noni Rose is now a Disney princess.

Spoiler alert: This Disney princess gets a job Washington Post

His Disney dream comes true Omaha World-Herald

OBAMA, MLK, MANDELA ET AL THEY KEPT THEIR EYES ON THE PRIZE!

2009-10-12T14:45:00.000-04:00

Nobel Peace Prize: ten famous winners

As Barack Obama is announced as the winner of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, we look back at ten of the most famous - and infamous - past winners.

By Nick Collins
Published: 12:02PM BST 09 Oct 2009

1 of 3 Images

The committee said it attached special importance to Mr Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons Photo: GETTY

1. Martin Luther King Jr.

Perhaps most famous for his "I have a dream" speech, he was the winner in 1964 in recognition of his role as a figurehead of the non-violent civil rights and anti-segregation movements in America.

At the age of 35 he was the youngest man to have received the award, and donated all his prize money to the civil rights movement.

2. Nelson Mandela

South Africa's most prominent civil rights leader and former president won the 1993 prize for his work to end the apartheid regime.

Mandela shared the prize with Frederik Willem de Klerk, the president who released him from prison and lifted the ban on his anti-apartheid ANC party, paving the way for a new constitution.

3. Mother Teresa

Born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Skopje in 1910, the founder of the Missionaries of Charity won the 1979 prize for her work caring for the poor in the slums of Calcutta.

Despite having no money, she built her Christian order into a worldwide organisation with the help of volunteers and charitable donations.

4. Jimmy Carter

In 2002, the former American president was commemorated for his "decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development."

During his time as President, he played a key role in disarmament talks with the Soviet Union, resulting in the SALT II treaty, and established relations between the US and China, as well as a number of other international peace treaties.

5. Henry Kissinger and Le Duc Tho

One award that raised eyebrows was the 1973 prize, given to US Henry Kissinger, the US Secretary of State, and Le Duc Tho, a key member of the North Vietnamese government, who declined the prize.

The pair, who engaged in secret talks that led to a ceasefire in Vietnam, were controversial winners due to their respective roles in the war in Vietnam, in which both sides attracted bitter criticism.

6. Theodore Roosevelt

The American president was named as the winner in 1906 for successfully negotiating a peace agreement that ended the Russo-Japanese war.

He also helped bring the first case before the International Court of Arbitration at The Hague, asking for the tribunal to resolve an old dispute with Mexico over the Pious Foundations of California.

7. Aung San Suu Kyi

The Burmese freedom fighter won the prize in 1991 in recognition of her leading role in the non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights in Burma.

She was elected prime minister in 1990, but was prevented from assuming office by the military. She has spent more than 11 of the past 19 years in some form of detention, and is currently under house arrest, but is seen by many as the best hope for the end of military repression in Burma.

8. Al Gore

The former US vice president was recognised in 2007 for his efforts to raise awareness about climate change and other environmental issues, chiefly through his documentary, An Inconvenient Truth.

Explaining their decision, the awarding committee said Mr Gore and the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, with whom he shared the prize, were helping to prevent future conflicts across the world.

9. Mikhail Gorbachev

He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990 for his role in the peace process between America and the Soviet Union that later led to the end of the cold war.

His award - which had previously been given to political dissident Andrei Sakharov and Polish trade union leader Lech Walesa - attracted great controversy as it was viewed by many within the Soviet Union as an ideological weapon of the west.

10. Kofi Annan

Shared the 2001 prize with the United Nations, of which he was then secretary general, for their "work for a better organised and more peaceful world."

This award was also hotly debated, due to what many observers saw as the UN's failure to prevent mass killings in Rwanda and Serbia, and Annan's perceived failure to stand up to America and other western powers.

The Subject Was Nuclear Weapons

2009-09-25T01:34:00.000-04:00

The Subject Was Nuclear Weapons

Published: September 24, 2009

With President Obama chairing the session and 13 other leaders around the table, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on Thursday intended to strengthen the fraying rules that are supposed to stop the spread of nuclear weapons.

It was a good-news moment. But also a reminder of the past limits of the Security Council’s will and effectiveness. In defiance of its orders, North Korea has tested two weapons and Iran continues to churn out nuclear fuel.

The resolution commits all member states to a long list of worthy goals, including ratification of the test ban treaty and adoption of stronger national controls on nuclear exports. But some of the countries around the table will have to do a lot more to prove that they mean it.

The resolution commits all United Nations members to enforcing current sanctions on Iran and North Korea. But those measures were seriously watered down — for political and economic reasons — by Russia and China. Russia’s president, Dmitri Medvedev, now says that he might be open to tougher measures on Iran if negotiations fail to bear fruit. China continues to oppose tougher penalties that may be the only chance for constraining Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

The resolution set a practical target by urging states to secure all vulnerable nuclear materials within four years. The Security Council broke some new ground by warning that any member of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty that secretly develops a weapon and then withdraws from the treaty — North Korea’s route — will still be held responsible for its violations.

We wish the Security Council had called for states to end rather than minimize the use of highly enriched uranium — a potential bomb fuel — in medical research. And the resolution only encourages, rather than requires, governments to consider whether a state seeking to buy nuclear technology has accepted intrusive United Nations monitoring.

Fortunately, there will be opportunities to fine-tune these goals. A conference on nuclear security is scheduled for next April, and two weeks later the United Nations will review the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which has been weakened by Bush-era neglect and Iranian and North Korean violations.

We applaud Mr. Obama for highlighting the nuclear dangers out there and pressing the world to address them. He still has a tough sell at home. He is far from the votes he needs for the Senate to ratify the test ban treaty. Some 150 countries have ratified it. But the treaty cannot take effect until other major holdouts — including China, India, Pakistan and Israel — also ratify it.

Washington’s failure gives them an all-too-convenient excuse. Mr. Obama will have to work hard to rally broader support.

2009-09-15T01:59:00.001-04:00

Atlanta Judge Orders King Children to Discuss His Estate

ATLANTA (AP) — A judge on Monday ordered the surviving children of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King to hold a shareholders meeting to discuss their father’s estate.

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Pool photo by Ric Feld

Siblings sued Dexter King.

Two of the children, the Rev. Bernice King and Martin Luther King III, sued their brother, Dexter King, last year to force him to open the books of their father’s estate. The lawsuit claimed that Dexter King, the estate’s administrator, had refused to provide documents concerning the estate’s operations.

Dozens of supporters and observers packed a hearing on Monday before Judge Ural D. Glanville in Fulton County Superior Court. They included former Mayor Andrew Young of Atlanta and the Rev. Joseph Lowery, both of whom worked with Dr. King during the civil rights movement and remain close to the King family. Mr. Lowery said that the siblings had been in mediation trying to work things out, but that he was unsure of the outcome.

“Dexter’s the unknown factor,” Mr. Lowery said outside the hearing. “We just don’t know what he’s going to do. It’s hard to tell.”

Coretta Scott King died in 2006, and Yolanda King, the Kings’ eldest child, died in 2007, leaving the three remaining siblings as the sole shareholders and directors of their father’s estate. It is set up as a corporation, but there has not been a shareholders meeting since 2004.

Dexter King has also sued his sister, who administers their mother’s estate. He has asked a judge to force his sister to turn over Coretta Scott King’s personal papers, including love letters central to a $1.4 million book deal once being considered.

The siblings’ relationship has deteriorated in the tense climate created by their legal battle.

At least part of the legal battle could be headed to a jury trial next month. At issue would be whether Dexter King acted financially inappropriately in his role as president and chief executive of his father’s estate.

But relations among the siblings could be thawing. Martin Luther King III recently visited his brother in California after Dexter King shattered his right femur in a car accident in July, and observers say the siblings have been in talks to resolve their legal disputes.

Dexter King, who lives in California, did not attend the hearing on Monday. Lawyers said he was hospitalized for several weeks after the car accident, has had to use a walker and is not allowed to travel because he cannot sit in one position for long periods.

His brother and sister, who live in Atlanta, were in court for the hearing.

Sign in to Recommend Next Article in US (10 of 28) » A version of this article appeared in print on September 15, 2009, on page A15 of the New York edition.

SERENA APOLOGIZES BUT NOT LOCAL ONE FOR DISCRIMINATING AGAINST US

2009-09-15T01:54:00.000-04:00

Serena Williams Fined After On Court Tirade

Rant Cost Williams $10,000, Match Point in Open Semifinals

By HOWARD FENDRICH
AP Tennis Writer
Sept. 13, 2009

Serena Williams was fined $10,000 Sunday for a profanity-laced tirade directed at a U.S. Open line judge, and an investigation is under way to determine whether there should be additional punishment.

Serena Williams of the US talks to US Open head referee Brian Earley after being penalized in her...

(TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)
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The $10,000 penalty — not quite 3 percent of the $350,000 in prize money Williams earned by reaching the semifinals at Flushing Meadows — is the maximum on-site fine that can be issued for unsportsmanlike conduct at a Grand Slam tournament.

The U.S. Open said in a statement that the Grand Slam Committee Administrator will "determine if the behavior of Ms. Williams warrants consideration as a major offense for which additional penalties can be imposed."

Williams, who was the defending champion, also was docked $500 for smashing her racket after the first set of what became a 6-4, 7-5 loss to Kim Clijsters on Saturday night.

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Two points from losing in the second set, Williams faulted at 5-6, 15-30. On her second serve there, the line judge called a foot fault, making it 15-40 and giving Clijsters a match point. Williams began berating the line judge and a penalty point was awarded to Clijsters; because it happened to come on match point, it ended the semifinal.

"Last night, everyone could truly see the passion I have for my job. Now that I have had time to gain my composure, I can see that while I don't agree with the unfair line call, in the heat of battle I let my passion and emotion get the better of me and as a result handled the situation poorly," Williams said in a statement released Sunday by a public relations firm.

"I would like to thank my fans and supporters for understanding that I am human and I look forward to continuing the journey, both professionally and personally, with you all as I move forward and grow from this experience."

The chairman and CEO of the women's tennis tour, Stacey Allaster, issued a statement calling Williams' conduct Saturday "inappropriate and unprofessional."

"No matter what the circumstances, no player should be allowed to engage in such behavior without suffering consequences. I have spoken with the USTA about this matter and I agree with the action they have taken," Allaster said.

DISCRIMINATED AGAINST BUT JANET SAVES THEIR ASS

2009-09-15T01:52:00.002-04:00

2009 09:05 AM ET

Janet Jackson single-handedly saves MTV VMA tribute to Michael Jackson

by Michael Slezak

Categories: Dancing Machines, Janet Jackson, MTV, Michael Jackson

There’s no way MTV would have (or should have) presented the 2009 VMAs without a tribute to the late Michael Jackson, the man who perhaps more than any artist ever, raised the business of making music videos into a rare and delectable art form. But while I can’t be sure how it looked live from Radio City Music Hall, I found the opening three and a half minutes of last night’s celebration played somewhat tepidly from my living-room couch. The hyper-fast cuts of the MTV cameras and the presence of a giant video screen playing “Thriller,” “Bad,” and “Smooth Criminal” made it difficult to focus on the actual dancing taking place on the stage. Yeah, I realize that by playing MJ’s greatest hits in the background, we were able to see just how lovingly his choreography was being recreated right there on the VMA stage — and today’s yoots who may have been unfamiliar with Jackson’s oeuvre (gasp!) got a glimpse of his genius — but the overall effect left me wondering why MTV bothered with the live dancing at all. Seriously, why not just replay a highlight reel of Michael’s most iconic dances?

Thankfully, though, at the 4:15 mark, Janet Jackson came to the rescue, shattering through a safety glass screen to recreate that classic “Scream” dance-off with her big brother. The woman whose “first name ain’t baby” may not have been 100% in sync with the video screen behind her, but so what? She worked that stage harder than an underpaid assistant doin’ overtime, and as tributes go, this was as energetic as it was heartfelt. I predict “Scream” on repeat on my iPod as I head to work this morning.

What did you think of last night’s MJ memorial? Were you touched by Janet’s appearance? And did anyone else get a case of the eeries hearing the line “Oh my God can’t believe what I saw as I turned on the TV this evening” in the wake of Michael’s death?

WHITNEY TELLS OPRAH BOBBY SPAT ON ME

2009-09-15T01:50:00.000-04:00

Bobby Brown spat on me, Whitney Houston tells Oprah

September 15, 2009 - 9:33AM

Opening up ... Whitney Houston, left, chats to Oprah Winfrey. Photo: AP

Whitney Houston says ex-husband Bobby Brown was emotionally abusive during their marriage and at one point spat on her.

After a long absence from music, Houston is staging a career comeback with a new album last month and a two-part appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

On Monday, Houston told Winfrey that Brown wasn't physically abusive but that "he slapped me once but he got hit on the head three times by me".

The 46-year-old singer says she "was horrified he spit on me, in my face" and that left her "very hurt, very angry".

Houston says she was attracted to Brown because he had control in their relationship.

Houston is one of the best-selling artists of all time, but her career stalled as she grappled with drug problems and a troubled marriage to Brown.

2009-09-15T01:47:00.000-04:00

What Do Public Tirades Say About Our Current State of Civility?

Kanye West, Serena Williams and Joe Wilson All Recently Lost Control in Public

By DAN HARRIS and REBECCA LEE
Sept. 14, 2009

Taylor Swift's music often centers on the drama and hostility of high school: mean girls, cheating boyfriends, and unrequited love. But at Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards, the teen singing sensation encountered a new breed of incivility.

From left, Serena Williams on Sept. 12, 2009, Kanye West on Sept. 13 and Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C, on Sept. 9, 2009.

(Getty Images/AP Photos)

Moments after Swift received the award for "Best Female Video," rapper Kanye West stormed the stage, plucked the mic from her hand, and announced in front of the entire audience and millions of viewers at home that Beyonce Knowles had the best video and that she, instead of Swift, deserved the Moonman.

West's stunt came less than 24 hours after tennis giant Serena Williams unleashed a profanity-laden tirade against a line judge at the U.S. Open after what she apparently thought was a questionable call that put her a point away from loss in her semi-final match against Kim Clijsters.

The outburst cost her the match, when she was penalized a point for her behavior. And, on Sept. 9, Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina shouted "You lie!" at President Obama during his health care speech to a joint session of Congress.

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By all accounts, last week was chock full of bad behavior. But are these outbursts merely circumstantial, or are they an indication of a shift in our nation's values?

As one might imagine, the recent outbursts have touched off a cascade of talk about the "coarsening" of our culture.

"There is an increasing coarseness to American discourse," columnist George Will said. He blamed our impulsivity and rudeness on a "culture of entitlement" where we celebrate "emotional exhibitionism" on football fields, cable television, and the Internet.

"We've decided that it is therapeutic to express oneself no matter how coarse one's thoughts, and that whatever is therapeutic is good," Will said. "I think we're seeing a kind of emotional exhibitionism whereby people say, 'I said something ghastly, but I said it honestly and sincerely.' And honesty, sincerity, and authenticity are self-legitimizing."

Facing stiff penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct, Serena Williams said in a statement released Sunday she "handled the situation poorly" and thanked her fans "for understanding."

"Last night everyone could truly see the passion I have for my job. Now that I have had time to gain my composure, I can see that while I don't agree with the unfair line call, in the heat of battle I let my passion and emotion get the better of me and as a result, handled the situation poorly. I would like to thank my fans and supporters for understanding that I am human and I look forward to continuing the journey, both professionally and personally, with you all as I move forward and grow from this experience," she said in a written statement.

It was not until today that Williams made any public apology to the lineswoman she berated, to Clijsters, and to the U.S. Tennis Association, which runs the U.S. Open.

OBAMA'S KENNEDY EULOGY HIGHLIGHT

2009-09-02T14:07:00.000-04:00

Through his own suffering, Ted Kennedy became more alive to the plight and suffering of others - the sick child who could not see a doctor; the young soldier sent to battle without armor; the citizen denied her rights because of what she looks like or who she loves or where she comes from. The landmark laws that he championed -- the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, immigration reform, children's health care, the Family and Medical Leave Act -all have a running thread. Ted Kennedy's life's work was not to champion those with wealth or power or special connections. It was to give a voice to those who were not heard; to add a rung to the ladder of opportunity; to make real the dream of our founding. He was given the gift of time that his brothers were not, and he used that gift to touch as many lives and right as many wrongs as the years would allow.

TEDDY PASSES AWAY DYNASTY ENDS

2009-09-02T13:59:00.000-04:00

Ted Kennedy dies: Chappaquiddick was the fatal flaw that haunted Kennedy's career

For more than 40 years, Edward Kennedy was the keeper of the flame, the last of a dynasty of Kennedy brothers who enjoyed an almost mystical status in the American political scene.

By Our Foreign Staff
Published: 11:29PM BST 17 May 2008

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (C) with his brothers U. S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy (L) and President John F. Kennedy at the White House in Washington, 1962 Photo: AP

Four decades after assassins bullets claimed two of his elder brothers, 77-year-old Edward Moore Kennedy, the patriarch of what many still regard as America’s first family, has died.

The senior senator from Massachusetts is one of only six men in American history to have served 40 years in the upper house of the US legislature.

Over his career he has won the respect of friend and foe alike for his uncompromising liberal views, coupled with his willingness to reach across the aisle to cut deals with political foes like President George W. Bush.

The first president Bush even gave him an award for public service in 2003, saying: “There were times when we were at each other’s political throats, but at the end of the day, we are Americans who love our country and want the very best for it.”

But there was a darker side. It was not just that the images of the three Kennedy brothers together in the 1960s, from a glamorous golden age when America was more confident of its greatness, morphed into pictures of the stolid, white-haired heavyweight (in all senses) that he became.

His senate career, in which he rose to be majority whip and chairman of the judiciary committee, has been partly an act of redemption, an attempt to ensure that when his obituaries are written, his name is not primarily associated with the word “Chappaquiddick”.

It was there, in the millionaires’ playground off Cape Cod, near the Kennedy family compound where Mr Kennedy was taken ill yesterday , that the 37-year-old drove his car off a bridge after a late night part in July 1969. His companion Mary Jo Kopechne drowned, critics have always maintained, because Mr Kennedy panicked and left her in the sinking car. He pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident and received a two year suspended sentence.

Nor was it the first sign of fecklessness. “Ted”, the youngest of the nine Kennedy children, was expelled from Harvard University in 1951 for cheating in a Spanish exam.

That did not prevent his election in 1962 to the seat in the Senate vacated by his brother, John, when he became president - which had been kept warm by a family friend until Ted reached the minimum age of 30 required by senate rules.

But Chappaquiddick stalked his life, almost certainly deterring him from running for president in either 1972 or 1976, the latter of which was probably his best chance to win.

His run for White House in 1980 was marred not only by a revival of questions about his behaviour at Chappaquiddick but also by his failure to fully explain why he wanted the job.

There was more than a sense that he felt his status as a Kennedy was qualification enough for the office that his brother Jack had held and his brother Bobby seemed on the cusp of attaining when he was gunned down in 1968.

The shadow of John and Bobby was long. “I think about my brothers every day,” he admitted. Another quotation revealed even more: “I don’t mind not being president, I just mind that someone else is.”

That 1980 campaign had parallels with the current contest between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Mr Kennedy’s battle with sitting president Jimmy Carter was just as bitter and even more prolonged.

It was Mr Kennedy who played the Hillary Clinton role, fighting on with dwindling hopes even when all seemed lost, all the way to the Democratic convention. Perhaps it was that experience which persuaded him to endorse Obama this year.

But perhaps, too, he saw something of himself in the candidate who has made oratory fashionable again. Mr Kennedy may have lost in 1980 but he gave, at the convention, a speech which is hailed to this day as one of the most powerful in recent US political history.

His peroration concluded with the line: “For me, a few hours ago, this campaign came to an end. For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.”

The dream may not be dead, and the Kennedy family still enjoys a unique place in American public life. But the time for someone else to carry the flame has arrived.

JAYCEE LEE DUGARD FOUND, RAPED AND GAVE BIRTH TWICE

2009-08-28T01:12:00.001-04:00

Jaycee Lee Dugard, a single mom impregnated by her kidnapper

August 27, 9:42 PMSalt Lake City Single Moms ExaminerRachel Tobin

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Jaycee Lee Dugard, age 11 and with age progression to age 25

Jaycee Lee Dugard, the young girl that was kipnapped over 18 years ago, was found today. At a press conference held earlier by the El Dorado police, it was learned that Jaycee was forced to live in a "backyard within a backyard" at the home of a registered sex offender and his wife. The only access to where she was kept was through a series of tarps and sheds, making her unseen to neighbors who were only feet away.

It was also learned that Phillip Garrido, Jaycee's kidnapper, also impregnated her twice, the first time when she was only 14 years old. The two girls, now 15 and 11 have never been to school or the doctor, and lived with their mother in Garrido's backyard structures. Police are looking into whether or not the girls have also been abused by Garrido.

It is still unknown why Jaycee, who has been called Alissa the last 18 years, never attempted to contact police or her family until now. In fact, she was only discovered because Garrido brought her, the children, and his wife to a visit with his parole officer yesterday after campus police at UC Berkley ran a background check on him.

Jaycee is being reunited with her family now. Clearly, the life Jaycee has ahead of her will be difficult. Not only has she suffered greatly the last 18 years, but she also is a single mom of two teenage girls that will also need substantial assistance, counseling, and socialization.

MJ TO BE BURIED AT FOREST LAWN FOR HIS 51 BIRTHDAY

2009-08-17T14:47:00.000-04:00

Michael Jackson to be buried on birthday, King of Pop's father says

Monday, August 17th 2009, 4:00 AM

Klein/Reuters

Michael Jackson will be laid to rest on August 29, his father, Joe, says.

Beck/Getty

Michael Jackson's father, Joe, plans to return to Vegas after his son is buried to receive a celebrity star in the singer's honor at the Brenden Theatres.

The King of Pop will finally be laid to rest. Or so says his dad.

Michael Jackson will be buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles at 10 a.m. on Aug. 29 on what would have been the King of Pop's 51st birthday, Joe Jackson told Steve Friess, the Daily News' man in Las Vegas.

The elder Jackson indicated that the burial plans had been made final just in the past few days. He discussed the burial over ribs and jalapeño corn bread at the poolside Simon at Palms Place at the Palms hotel and casino.

With him was the stunningly beautiful Crystal Marven, a singer he has signed to his new record label, and her mother.

The elder Jackson says he will return to Vegas after his son is buried that Saturday to receive a celebrity star in the singer's honor at the Brenden Theatres, a cinema at the Palms that Michael Jackson and his children frequented. The Brenden will also screen the 1988 film "Moonwalker" that day.

Papa Jackson said he is supportive of the Los Angeles Police Department probe into his son's June 25 death so far - but also said that cops may be making Dr. Conrad Murray "the fall guy for a whole lot of people."

He did not elaborate. Murray was Michael Jackson's personal doctor and with him the day he died. Murray's lawyer has confirmed the Vegas-based doc is being investigated for administering the anesthetic Propofol and possibly other drugs. He denies wrongdoing.

A Vegas pharmacy was searched Aug. 11 for evidence Murray sought Propofol there.

Meanwhile, Joe Jackson, who lives separately from the singer's mom, Katherine, says she's taken Michael's death particularly hard, and frequently bursts out in tears.

Jackson said he had tried to see his son in the months before his death, but "the security guards wouldn't let me get to him."

He also dismissed talk that the Neverland mansion would be moved to Las Vegas as his daughter, La Toya Jackson, told reporters last week.

"How would they do that?" Jackson asked.

U.S. SUPREME COURT WILLING TO HEAR DEATH ROW CASE

2009-08-17T14:41:00.000-04:00

Supreme Court Says Ga. Man Should Get Hearing

Supreme Court says Georgia man on death row should get chance to prove innocence in court

By JESSE J. HOLLAND Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON August 17, 2009 (AP)

The Associated Press

The Supreme Court on Monday ordered a new hearing for death row inmate Troy Davis, whose supporters say is innocent and should be spared from execution for killing a police officer 20 years ago.

(/ABC NewsABC News Photo Illustration)

The Supreme Court on Monday ordered a new hearing for death row inmate Troy Davis, whose supporters say is innocent and should be spared from execution for killing an off-duty police officer almost 20 years ago.

Davis has spent 18 years on death row for the 1989 slaying of Savannah, Ga., police officer Mark MacPhail. Davis' attorneys insist that he is innocent and deserves a new trial because several witnesses at his trial have recanted their testimony.

The high court ordered a federal judge in Georgia to determine whether there is evidence "that could not have been obtained at the time of trial (that) clearly establishes petitioner's innocence."

Defense lawyers had appealed to the Supreme Court after a federal court denied a new trial request in April.

CIVIL RIGHTS ICON JOSEPH LOWERY AND SIDNEY POITIER RECEIVE MEDAL OF FREEDOM FROM PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

2009-08-13T14:29:00.001-04:00

Civil rights icon Rev. Joseph Lowery awarded Medal of Freedom

Posted by The Huntsville Times and Associated Press August 12, 2009 3:26 PM

AP PhotoIn this July 2, 2008, file photo Civil Rights pioneer Joseph Lowery speaks at the National Press Club in Washington. President Barack Obama will recognize the accomplishments of actors, activists and athletes on Wednesday when he awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 16 people.

WASHINGTON -- Civil rights leader Rev. Joseph Lowery this afternoon will be among 16 actors, athletes, activists, scientists and humanitarians who this afternoon will be presented the nation's highest civilian honor by President Barack Obama.

Lowery, a Huntsville native who co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and was an early leader of the civil rights movement, gave the benediction at Obama's inauguration.

Among those receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a White House ceremony Wednesday are film star Sidney Poitier, and tennis legend Billie Jean King.

Others being honored are retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa.

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy is getting the medal, too, but the Massachusetts Democrat is not at the White House due to his fight against brain cancer.

Posthumous awards are going to former Republican Rep. Jack Kemp of New York and gay rights activist Harvey Milk.

President Harry S. Truman established the Medal of Freedom in 1945 to recognize civilians for their efforts during World War II. President John F. Kennedy reinstated the medal in 1963 to honor distinguished service.

Many of the other recipients announced today are household names: Stephen Hawking, the internationally known theoretical physicist; the late Congressman Jack Kemp, a former Republican vice presidential nominee who died in May; Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts; tennis legend Billie Jean King; actor Sidney Poitier; former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor; Bishop Desmond Tutu, the anti-Apartheid activist from South Africa; and Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official from a major city, and the recent subject of a major movie starring Sean Penn.

Others receiving the award today were: Nancy Goodman Brinker, sister of breast cancer victim Susan G. Komen and founder of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation; Pedro Jose Greer Jr., founder of Camillus Health Concern, an organization that provided medical care to the homeless in Florida; Chita Rivera, a Tony award winning actress, singer and dancer who in 2002 became the first Hispanic to win the coveted Kennedy Center Honor; Mary Robinson, the first female president of Ireland; Joe Medicine Crow-High Bird, the last living Plains Indian war chief and a World War II veteran; Janet Davison Rowley, the Blum Riese Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine, Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology at the University of Chicago; Mumammad Yunus, an anti-poverty activitst who pioneered the use of "micro-loans" to provide credit to poor people without collateral.

This is the White House statement on Lowery:

Rev. Joseph E. Lowery has marched through life with faith and purpose, carrying with him the legacy of a movement that touched America's conscience and changed its history. At the forefront of the major civil rights events of our time -- from the Montgomery bus boycott to protests against apartheid -- he has served as a tireless beacon for nonviolence and social justice. As a pastor and civil rights advocate, he co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and championed the cause of peace and freedom around the world. The United States proudly honors this outstanding leader.

MJ'S ESTATE GROWS BIGGER BY THE DAY!

2009-08-12T22:04:00.000-04:00

Jackson’s Estate Grows Bigger After His Death

By TIM ARANGO

Published: August 12, 2009

It has been 48 days since Michael Jackson died, and while family members of the late pop star are still at war with the executors of his estate, the answer to another question — how much the singer is worth in death — is becoming clear. He has already earned $100 million through a film deal and various merchandising contracts, and the executors expect another $100 million to roll in by the end of the year.

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Times Topics: Michael Jackson

“Clearly that’s a new record for estates that likely will not be broken,” said John G. Branca, Mr. Jackson’s longtime lawyer who was named in Mr. Jackson’s will as a co-executor of the estate, along with John McClain, a music executive and Jackson family friend.

While several business deals have been reached — for things like commemorative coins, a line of school supplies and a $150 coffee table book — the matter of untangling Mr. Jackson’s vast estate, assets and debt, goes on, as does wrangling with family members.

Cash has been collected from former advisers who had held money for Mr. Jackson — several million dollars from one — and the executors have tracked down a collection of Mr. Jackson’s personal memorabilia and other items that were almost auctioned off last April to pay debts. The items, which included artwork and several glittery, white gloves that had been at the singer’s Neverland Ranch, had been stored in several locations around Los Angeles.

The model for Mr. Jackson’s posthumous business empire is Elvis Presley. “When you look at what the Presley estate has done, you see the opportunities here,” Mr. Branca said. “I quite frankly think this will be a bigger estate.”

Mr. Presley’s estate generated $55 million in revenue last year, according to Billboard, the music industry trade publication. In 2004, Robert Sillerman, a New York music entrepreneur, purchased 85 percent of Elvis Presley Enterprises, the business umbrella for Mr. Presley’s intellectual property rights and Graceland, for about $100 million.

Business aside, Mr. Branca and Mr. McClain — a judge has named them special administrators and could decide in October to name them permanent executors — remain at odds with Katherine Jackson, Mr. Jackson’s mother, who is a beneficiary of 40 percent of the estate. In July, Mrs. Jackson sought to wrest control of the estate from the executors, but was denied by a judge.

“Both McClain and Branca certainly are aware of our intentions to have Mrs. Jackson have a seat at the table, because I believe that her sensibilities with respect to the legacy of Michael bring a very important and valuable dimension to any kind of plans,” said L. Londell McMillan, a lawyer for Mrs. Jackson.

More recently, Mrs. Jackson and her legal team have sought, in behind-the-scenes negotiations, to have her named as an additional executor or as a co-trustee, a move that Mr. Branca and Mr. McClain have resisted, partly because they say that having a beneficiary also serve as a trustee could result in more taxes being owed.

Instead, a more likely possibility is that another member of the Jackson family would be named as a co-executor or co-trustee, according to Mr. Branca.

Mr. McMillan said of the potential negative tax implications, “that’s not a legal position we support. The research we’ve done allows for tax avoidance with respect to our request.”

While Mr. Jackson’s will stipulated that Mr. Branca and Mr. McClain had authority over running the business affairs of the estate, they are aware that their efforts will be more successful if relations with the Jackson family are collegial. Mr. Branca said, “We’ve always been open to a dialogue with Mrs. Jackson about what is best for the estate.”

Mr. Jackson’s estate has been valued at several hundred million dollars. It contains some big assets, including a 50 percent stake in Sony/ATV, a music publishing partnership that includes the rights to the Beatles catalog; Mr. Jackson’s own song catalog; and Neverland Ranch. But there also are large debts, because of Mr. Jackson’s free-spending ways. While Mr. Jackson’s portion of Sony/ATV was worth an estimated $500 million at the time of his death, he had about $300 million of debt against it held by Barclays.

Despite speculation, Mr. Branca said, “we do not contemplate selling any portion of Sony/ATV.”

Beyond 2009, Mr. Branca and others estimate the business of Michael Jackson could generate about $50 million to $100 million annually.

“We are very optimistic about the revenue we will generate,” said Howard Weitzman, a lawyer for Mr. Branca and Mr. McClain. “But we also have to be sober about the debt the estate has.”

The overall value of Mr. Jackson’s business, were it to be sold in the future like Mr. Presley’s was, would most likely be several hundred million dollars, said Mark Roesler, chairman of CMG Worldwide, a licensing firm that has worked with the estates of Mr. Presley, Marilyn Monroe and James Dean.

“You have someone who left a mark on six billion people in the world,” Mr. Roesler said.

“If you put a value of $110 million on Elvis Presley’s intellectual property rights, that’s a baseline. It’s certainly in the hundreds of millions of dollars.”

Neverland Ranch itself could become a future moneymaker, just like Elvis Presley’s Graceland. Some family members hope that Mr. Jackson will be buried there, but that decision has not been made. Neverland is owned in partnership with Colony Capital, a Los Angeles real estate company that stepped in when Mr. Jackson was on the brink of foreclosure.

Another idea is to establish a permanent Michael Jackson attraction in Las Vegas, which would house the late singer’s memorabilia. This option may be preferable to Neverland, because Las Vegas is more easily accessible to tourists.

In life, Mr. Jackson faced a precarious financial future, as he piled on debts to finance his tastes in art, to travel on private jets and to keep up Neverland. In death, his estate may enjoy the financial security he never had.

2009-07-31T01:09:00.001-04:00

From Times Online

July 31, 2009

'Friendly' beer summit calms race row tensions

(Saul Loeb/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)

Henry Gates and Sergeant James Crowley share a beer with Barack Obama and Joe Biden

Tim Reid in Washington

The white US police officer at the heart of a fierce national debate about race and law enforcement said he would continue to meet the black Harvard law professor he controversially arrested after the two men shared a nationally watched beer with President Obama.

Sergeant James Crowley spoke after the most widely covered beer in US history, a drink with the man he arrested – Professor Henry Louis Gates Junior – around a table in the White House Rose Garden with President Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden.

Sergeant Crowley, at a press conference shortly after an event that the press corps could only briefly photograph, out of ear shot, said that he and Professor Gates were "two gentlemen who agreed to disagree".

After the US networks had universally shown footage of the “beer summit” – a 50-yard shot of the four men drinking their respective brews and eating peanuts - Sergeant Crowley then gave some idea of what had transpired.

Sergeant Crowley did not apologise for arresting Professor Gates, but said he “respected him a great deal”, there had been “no tension” at the beer meeting, and that they had “cordial and productive discussions.” He said they would continue to meet each other privately in the coming weeks.

The four men ate peanuts as they chatted over their favourite beers. Mr Obama drank a Bud Light; Sergeant Crowley a Blue Moon; Professor Gates a Sam Adams Light; Mr Biden a non-alcoholic Buckler.

Afterwards, Mr Obama described the "friendly, thoughtful" conversation as a success.

"I have always believed that what brings us together is stronger than what pulls us apart," the president said. "I am confident that has happened here tonight, and I am hopeful that all of us are able to draw this positive lesson from this episode."

Professor Gates hailed the "great opportunity" fate had given him and Sergeant Crowley. He said their task must be to foster sympathy among Americans about "the daily perils of policing on the one hand, and for the genuine fears of racial profiling on the other hand."

The meeting, which was the culmination of a race row that has consumed America since Sergeant Crowley arrested Professor Gates at his home on June 16, came hours after the controversy took another explosive turn: the description of Professor Gates as a “banana-eating jungle monkey” by a Boston police officer.

Boston police suspended Officer Justin Barrett, who first e-mailed anonymously to The Boston Globe and then to friends in the local National Guard: “If I were the officer he verbally assaulted like a banana-eating jungle monkey I would have sprayed him with OC.”

Officer Barrett, 36, was stripped him of his gun and badge and placed him on administrative leave. He later said: “I didn’t mean it in a racist way.”

Last month, Sergeant Crowley had been called to investigate a suspected burglary at Professor Gates’s house. The scholar had just returned from a foreign trip and had trouble opening his front door.

Sergeant Crowley said that when he confronted Professor Gates the academic became abusive. Despite knowing that no burglary had taken place, the policeman ended up arresting him for disorderly conduct, handcuffing him and taking him down to the station. The charges were later dropped. Professor Gates has said that he was the victim of racial profiling.

Mr Obama, a friend of Professor Gates, fuelled the controversy when he accused the Cambridge police of acting “stupidly”. Two days later, after an outcry from police groups, Mr Obama expressed regret and said he had telephoned Sergeant Crowly, who suggested a White House beer with Professor Gates.

One person who was not there was the woman who made the original emergency call to report the possible burglary. The police first claimed that she reported “two black men with backpacks” trying to get into the house. In fact, Lucia Whalen, who gave a tearful press conference on Wednesday, never mentioned race. She told reporters she had feared for her safety after being vilified as a racist.

OBAMA BEER THIRTY FOR CROWLEY AND GATES 6 PM THURSDAY AT THE OBAMA HOUSE

2009-07-28T14:34:00.001-04:00

It's official: The so-called "beer summit" between President Obama, African-American professor Henry Louis Gates and white policeÂ Sgt. James Crowley will be held 6 p.m. Thursday at the White House.

"Weather permitting, they'll probably sit out at the picnic table behind the Oval Office," said Obama press secretary Robert Gibbs, confirming the time.

The meeting is "a chance to step back a bit" from the flap surrounding Crowley's disorderly conduct arrest of Gates at the professor's home near Harvard University. Gates called the charges -- since dropped -- racially motivated.

There is no formal agenda for the president's meeting, Gibbs said, but rather "a chance to talk and a chance to have a dialogue."

The idea for a White House meeting surfaced during Obama's phone conversation Friday with Crowley. The president later spoke with reporters and expressed regret for his comment that the Cambridge, Mass., police had acted "stupidly" in arresting Gates, saying it only ratcheted up the controversy.

At the time, Obama said: "The fact that this has become such a big issue I think is indicative of the fact that race is still a troubling aspect of our society."

There will be beer at Thursday's meeting, Gibbs said. The menu is still being worked out, but the spokesman said Crowley told the president "he likes Blue Moon." Gates, meanwhile, has expressed a linking for Beck's and Red Stripe. Obama threw back a Budweiser at a ball game two weeks ago.

2009-07-22T13:30:00.000-04:00

Michael Jackson planned to direct movie about foster children; sparked by his itinerant childhood

BY Gina Salamone
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Wednesday, July 22nd 2009, 9:51 AM

TMZ

Michael Jackson holding Blanket and Paris while Prince, right, looks into the camera. The King of Pop was reportedly planning to direct a movie about foster children.

Michael Jackson, whose hotel-hopping childhood allegedly made him feel like an orphan, planned to direct a movie about foster kids.

A few months before he died, the King of Pop reportedly committed to co-direct and fund the drama, according to the Hollywood Reporter. He was to start work on the project right after his string of London concerts.

Writer and Director Bryan Michael Stoller, a friend of Jackson, said that in 2002 the pop star showed him a 1985 book that detailed the author Jennings Michael Burch's real-life experiences in foster homes as a child. Jackson reportedly asked Stoller to produce and co-direct a film version, which would have been called "They Cage the Animals at Night."

Those close to Jackson told the Hollywood Reporter that he had not signed onto any formal deal involving the film before his death last month.

Jackson may have had a soft spot for the project due to his own childhood as a performer, moving from place to place.

"Michael told me often he felt like he grew up as an orphan, like a foster kid, because he never was in one home," Stoller said. "To him every hotel was like a different foster home. He said he used to sit in the window and see kids playing outside and cry because he couldn't be part of that."

While Jackson starred in "The Wiz" (1978) and "Captain EO," a 3-D film shown in Disney theme parks in the 1980s, he had no plans to appear in "They Cage."

"He was very excited about making movies and wanted his hands on everything, from working on screenplays to producing, to writing the music," Stoller said. "However, he never showed any interest in acting."

2009-07-22T03:10:00.001-04:00

A Defining Moment Nears for President

Brendan Smialowski for The New York Times

President Obama will hold a prime-time news conference on Wednesday that will in effect be a “six-month report card.”

WASHINGTON — Six months into his administration, President Obama is at a pivotal moment. He has pushed through a $787 billion economic stimulus package, bailed out Wall Street and, on Tuesday, managed to beat the defense industry in the Senate, which voted to kill a high-profile fighter jet program.

On Wednesday night Mr. Obama addresses the nation in a prime-time news conference as the public, and lawmakers, are growing skittish over his next big plan, to remake the American health care system. How he handles the issue over the next several weeks could shape the rest of his presidency, shedding light on his political strength, his relationship with both parties in Congress and his appetite to fight for his own agenda.

2009-07-22T03:07:00.000-04:00

Harvard professor Gates arrested at Cambridge home

July 20, 2009 04:37 PM

Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., one of the nation's pre-eminent African-American scholars, was arrested Thursday afternoon at his home by Cambridge police investigating a possible break-in. The incident raised concerns among some Harvard faculty that Gates was a victim of racial profiling.

Gates

Police arrived at Gates’s Ware Street home near Harvard Square at 12:44 p.m. to question him. Gates, director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard, had trouble unlocking his door after it became jammed.

He was booked for disorderly conduct after “exhibiting loud and tumultuous behavior,” according to a police report. Gates accused the investigating officer of being a racist and told him he had "no idea who he was messing with,'' the report said.

Gates told the officer that he was being targeted because "I'm a black man in America.''

We are with you Katherine!

2009-07-22T03:03:00.000-04:00

Katherine Jackson -- I Will Be Heard!

Posted Jul 22nd 2009 2:15AM by TMZ Staff

Katherine Jackson wants "a seat at the table" in all matters involving Michael Jackson's estate.

Katherine's lawyer, Londell McMillan, tells us Katherine called him the day Michael died, asking him to come to the house. McMillan says when he showed up the first weekend, Katherine and Joe expressed "concern" over the estate and hired him to represent Katherine's legal interests.

McMillan says Katherine will not challenge the will, but as far as the executors are concerned, he says, "She deserves a seat at the table at a minimum." McMillan would not say if Katherine merely wanted to be named as a third executor or whether she wanted to challenge John Branca and John McClain, the named co-executors.

DONT FORGET OUR STRUGGLE HERE IN LOCAL ONE MR PRESIDENT

2009-07-18T00:22:00.001-04:00

At NAACP Centennial, Obama Speaks of Struggle

President Barack Obama delivered a rousing speech Thursday to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, paying tribute to the organization's history and challenging its members to confront continued racial disparities.

"Make no mistake: The pain of discrimination is still felt in America," the president said in honoring the nation's largest civil rights organization on the occasion of its 100th convention.

Speaking to an audience of several thousand at the Hilton New York, Mr. Obama credited the bravery and determination of civil rights leaders with paving the way for a black person to win the White House. "Because of them I stand here tonight, on the shoulders of giants," Obama said. "And I'm here to say thank you to those pioneers and thank you to the NAACP."

TITO SAYS MJ WAS KIDS DAD

2009-07-17T23:52:00.001-04:00

Michael Jackson Was The Biological Father Of His Kids, Tito Insists

'Those eyes don't lie,' Tito Jackson says of his late brother's youngest child, known as 'Blanket.'

2009-07-17T23:48:00.000-04:00

LaToya song re-released as Michael Jackson tribute

By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY (AP) – 7 hours ago

NEW YORK — A song LaToya Jackson previously recorded to honor her family is now being re-released as a tribute to her brother Michael.

The song "Home" is being made available on iTunes on July 28 by Ja-Tail Records and Bungalo Records, which is distributed by Universal Music Group. A publicity image for the single shows an all-white clad Jackson, with her arm extended upward, with an image of Michael Jackson, also clad in white, to her right.

Ja-Tail company founder Jeffre Phillips says Jackson's older sister had already finished a CD and was about to release a different song as her first single. But after Michael Jackson died suddenly on June 25, the album release was delayed indefinitely.

However, the label decided to release "Home" to pay homage to the late entertainer. Phillips said the company is donating the proceeds to AIDS Project LA, a charity that was supported by Michael Jackson.

Phillips added that LaToya Jackson would not d

Publish Post

o any marketing or promotion for the record.

2009-07-17T23:46:00.001-04:00

Michael Jackson’s Full Autopsy Results Delayed, Coroner Says

7/17/09, 11:39 am EST

2009-07-17T23:44:00.001-04:00

Source: Joe Jackson Willing to Step Aside in Custody Case

By Champ Clark

Originally posted Friday July 17, 2009 08:05 PM EDT

Joe and Katherine Jackson Photo by: Jason LaVeris / FilmMagic, Robyn Beck / Reuters / Landov

The custody case over Michael Jackson's three young children presses on: Friday, a hearing that has been scheduled for next week was postponed until Aug. 3 because the singer's mother, Katherine Jackson, is still assembling her legal team, a source tells PEOPLE. And in another new development, Jackson's father, Joe, whom Michael accused of physical abuse in an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 1993, now says he is willing to step aside to helphis wife win guardianship.

WHO IS WATCHING LOCAL ONE OFICERS?

2009-07-16T12:47:00.000-04:00

Manhattan City Councilman Miguel Martinez admits he stole tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars

By Thomas Zambito and Greg B. Smith
DAILY NEWS WRITERS

Thursday, July 16th 2009, 11:02 AM

JACKSON DOC IN CORNER

2009-07-16T03:58:00.001-04:00

Jackson Doc Talks Himself Into a Corner

Posted Jul 16th 2009 2:00AM by TMZ Staff

We've learned the doctor at the center of the investigation into Michael Jackson's death is in the cross hairs of the LAPD because of his own words.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Dr. Conrad Murray's statements to police on the Saturday following Jackson's death contained incriminating disclosures about his involvement. Some members of law enforcement are surprised he spoke in the first place and surprised at what he volunteered.

As we reported yesterday, the LAPD is already treating Jackson's death as a homicide and there have been multiple conversations between detectives and the L.A. County District Attorney's office, although the D.A. has not opened its own formal investigation.

And we've learned, although some of the toxicology results are not in yet, important test results already completed point to the anesthesia Propofol as the primary cause of death. Our law enforcement sources say the evidence is clear -- Propofol was the primary reason Jackson's heart stopped beating.

Dr. Murray's lawyer would neither confirm nor deny if his client administered Propofol to Jackson the day he died.

JOE JACKSON WANTS TO FORM JACKSON 3 WITH MJ'S KIDS

2009-07-13T13:47:00.000-04:00

MJ MOM AND DEBBIE ROWE PLOT SECRET DEAL

2009-07-13T13:29:00.002-04:00

Jackson's Mother and Ex-Wife Plot Secret Custody Deal

Deal Would Give Katherine Custody, Rowe Increased Visitation but Snub Joe Jackson

By RUSSELL GOLDMAN and EILEEN MURPHY
July 13, 2009

Michael Jackson's mother and ex-wife are working out a deal behind closed doors that would allow them to avoid a custody battle and guarantee that the pop star's father could never get custody of the singer's three children.

Michael Jackson's mother, Katherine, and his ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, left, are reportedly in talks to make a deal on custody of the singer's three children.

(Getty Images)
Sources told ABC News.com that Debbie Rowe, the former Mrs. Jackson and mother of his two oldest children, is willing to forego a fight for the children if their grandmother, Katherine Jackson, allows her more time to visit with the kids, and guarantees that their grandfather, Joe Jackson, whom Michael accused of abuse, could never be named a guardian.

2009-07-12T13:26:00.000-04:00

Michael Jackson’s Hometown Tribute Brings Together Extended Family

By Kari Lydersen

A fan holds up a photo of the Jackson 5 at the Gary, Ind., memorial celebration Friday. Photo by: Scott Olson / Getty

Michael Jackson’s cousin Phyllis Fossett Turner skipped a family reunion in Little Rock on Friday to attend the memorial service for the pop star in his hometown of Gary, Ind.

But the event, held in the 6,000-seat minor league baseball stadium where Jackson played to adoring fans in 2003, turned out like a reunion itself for Jackson’s local extended family, most of whom did not attend the Los Angeles service.

About 20 Jackson cousins – ranging in ages over five decades – sat in the front row of folding chairs on the infield of the packed RailCats’ US Steel Yard stadium to watch local performers pay homage to Michael. They wore white T-shirts adorned with photos of Jackson posing witheach of them during his ‘03 visit, with the words “RIP” on the front and “Reunion” on the back.

Michael’s father Joe Jackson arrived two hours into the service, flanked by bodyguards, as the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. was speaking. The Jackson patriarch briefly took the stage to greet the crowd and accept a 7-ft.-by-4-ft. granite plaque – etched with Michael’s tip-toe pose and his birth and death dates – from Gary mayor Rudy Clay, who is aiming to turn Michael’s childhood home into a museum.

“I’ve said it time and again, if we can do it for Elvis we can do it for Michael in Gary, Indiana,” said Clay. “Now we are going to make it happen with junkyard tenacity.” The Jacksons moved from the city when Michael was 11.

End African and LOCAL 1 Corruption

2009-07-12T13:21:00.000-04:00

Ghanaians crowded a refrigerator shop Saturday to watch President Obama's meeting with Ghanaian President John Atta Mills on television.

Rebecca Blackwell/AP

Africans reflect on Obama's 'tough love' message

The president used his first African visit – to the democratic bastion of Ghana – to signal a harder-line US approach to dealing with corrupt African leaders.

By Drew Hinshaw | Contributor to The Christian Science Monitor

from the July 12, 2009 e

2009-07-10T01:07:00.002-04:00

Foul play possible in Michael Jackson's death, Joe Jackson says

9:36 PM | July 9, 2009

Michael Jackson's father said in an interview Thursday that he is concerned that "foul play" may have been involved in his son's death.

REMEMBERING MICHAEL JACKSON

2009-07-09T00:04:00.000-04:00

REMEMBERING MICHAEL JACKSON

Michael Jackson -- on the wall

2009-07-08T23:56:00.001-04:00

At Jackson Memorial, Music and Mourning

Monica Almeida/The New York Times

Jermaine Jackson tossed a rose after singing in front of his brother's casket during the memorial service on Tuesday. More Photos >

Nielsen: 31.1 million watched Jackson memorial

2009-07-08T23:51:00.002-04:00


Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris Jackson, center, is hugged onstage by the Jackson family after speaking at the memorial service for Michael Jackson at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Tuesday, July 7, 2009. (AP Photo/Monica Almeida, Pool)

2009-07-08T23:47:00.001-04:00

Paris Jackson surrounded by her family at the Michael Jackson's memorial

Photo: Mark Terrill-Pool/Getty Images

Jay L. Clenenin / Los Angeles Times

Approximately 17,500 tickets and wristbands to the event were distributed Monday through an online lottery system. Those wearing gold wristbands were told that they would watch the event live in Staples Center; those with silver bands will watch a simulcast from the nearby Nokia Theatre.

Michael Jackson's family arrives at Forest Lawn

2009-07-05T14:27:00.000-04:00

Fans Rally, and Officials Brace to Honor Jackson

WE REMEMBER MICHAEL

2009-07-01T00:34:00.000-04:00

BET AWARDS celebrate MJ

2009-06-29T02:11:00.001-04:00

BET Awards' call to celebration

10:08 PM PT, Jun 28 2009

The late singer's influence imbues the hastily revised BET awards.

Cheers greeted Janet Jackson when she appeared on the stage of the Shrine Auditorium on Sunday at the end of the BET Awards, but her face was etched with pain. For several moments, her mouth quivered, and it looked as if she might not be able to speak.

"My entire family wanted to be here tonight, but it was just too painful, so they elected me to speak for all of us," she finally said.

It's been only four days since her brother Michael Jackson died suddenly, shocking the world. The award ceremony, which had previously been scheduled to honor athletes, musicians and actors, was transformed to a hastily organized celebration of Jackson and his music.

The ceremony was largely joyous and celebratory, but the mood changed when Janet Jackson came on stage.

"To you, Michael is an icon, but to us Michael is family, and he will forever live in all of our hearts. On behalf of my family and myself, thank you for all of your love, and thank you for all of your support. We miss him so much. Thank you so much."

The event, the first large-scale entertainment industry gathering since Jackson's death, took on such a high profile that CNN broadcast live from the red carpet before the show.

When the show finally began, host Jamie Foxx wasted no time in kicking off the Jackson-flavored festivities.

"There's no need to be sad," Foxx shouted, appearing in a red leather jacket similar to the one Jackson wore in his famous "Beat It" video and a single glove. He re-created several of the entertainer's vintage leg kicks and shuffles.

He yelled out, "You should be standing up!" and the overflow audience appeared electrified as the pounding thumps of the song followed by another Jackson classic, "Rock With You," filled the auditorium.

Foxx, who was almost as adept in channeling Jackson as he was in portraying Ray Charles in his Oscar-winning performance in "Ray," tried to moonwalk across the Shrine stage.

Rapper Lil Wayne, who accepted the award for male hip-hop artist, said, "None of us would be in this room without Michael Jackson."

Cleveland Cavaliers basketball star LeBron James praised the music of Jackson and his family. Eddie Levert, leader of the O'Jays, who accepted the show's lifetime achievement award, told anecdotes of Jackson as a young artist, laced with a profanity. And Ne-Yo, who has often been compared to Jackson, sang a poignant version of Jackson's ballad "The Lady in My Life."

Watching from the audience was Jackson's father, Joe, who sat in the front row next to the Rev. Al Sharpton. The elder Jackson, who was wearing a black suit, sunglasses and a black hat, ignited a frenzy when he appeared near the red carpet just minutes before the live broadcast, as numerous media outlets rushed him for an interview.

"The family and I are doing OK, about as well as we can at this point," he said at one point.

2009-06-29T02:01:00.001-04:00

Inside Michael Jackson's last show: The magic was back


Enlarge	By Reuters

L.A. rehearsal, May 6: Michael Jackson at CenterStaging in Burbank, Calif., where he worked on his upcoming shows. Those involved with the production say that in rehearsals, Jackson resembled the King of Pop they remembered from the past.

Rev Al ware r jobz on BROADWAY

2009-06-28T14:14:00.000-04:00

Rev. Al Sharpton vows to fight for Michael Jackson and his family

BY Tanyanika Samuels
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Sunday, June 28th 2009, 4:00 AM

Rothenberg for News

Rev Al Sharpton speaks about his good friend, Michael Jackson outside the Apollo Theater in Harlem.

Still reeling from news of Michael Jackson's death, the Rev. Al Sharpton is headed to Los Angeles today to help the Jackson family plan funeral arrangements.

Sharpton spoke with family members Friday.

"Mr. Jackson seemed very sad. He did not seem like himself," he said of the pop legend's father. "Mrs. Jackson couldn't even come to the phone, she was devastated. Jermaine and Jackie are devastated too, yet they are determined. They want to see their brother treated right. They told me 'You've gotta keep out there and defend Michael.'"

Sharpton also plans to eulogize his friend of 35 years during a memorial service Tuesday at the Apollo Theater.

During his weekly rally at the National Action Network yesterday, Sharpton railed against reports focusing on allegations that Jackson molested children and abused prescription drugs.

"If we can look past the shortcomings of Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, then we can put into proper perspective any shortcomings Michael may have had," he said.

Sharpton said he knew Jackson was at peace. "When you get to heaven," he said, looking skyward, "turn around and moonwalk through the gates."

That drew cheers from many in the audience, like lifelong Jackson fan, Shenay King, 22. "We've lost a legend," King said. "There will never be another Michael Jackson."

2009-06-28T14:08:00.000-04:00

Diana Ross -- 'My Heart is Hurting'

Posted Jun 26th 2009 9:58AM by TMZ Staff

Diana Ross, the woman instrumental in launching the Jackson 5 into superstardom, has just released a statement about Michael Jackson's passing.

"I can't stop crying, this is too sudden and shocking. I am unable to imagine this. My heart is hurting. I am in prayer for his kids and the family."

The Jackson 5's first album was titled "Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5."

2009-06-28T14:03:00.001-04:00

Jun 26 2009 5:01 PM EDT

President Obama Sends Condolences To Michael Jackson's Family, Fans

Press secretary delivers message on behalf of president.

By Jocelyn Vena

Although President Obama held a press conference on Friday (June 26), no one asked him for his reaction to the news of Michael Jackson's death on Thursday in Los Angeles. In a separate press conference, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that reporters seemed too shy to ask the president about the legendary singer — even though he is an avowed music fan — so Gibbs said that he spoke with Obama about Jackson's passing.

"I talked to [the president] about it this morning. He said to me that obviously Michael Jackson was a spectacular performer and a music icon," Gibbs said, according to Newsweek. "I think everybody remembers hearing his songs, watching him moonwalk on television during Motown's 25th anniversary. But the president also said [Jackson] had aspects of his life that were sad and tragic. And his condolences went out to the Jackson family and to the fans that mourned his loss."

Michael with Godfather Brown

2009-06-28T13:57:00.001-04:00

Rest in Peace Michael

2009-06-26T15:11:00.000-04:00

HARLEM, N.Y.

Outside the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem, N.Y., where the Jackson 5 first performed in 1969, the billboard was cleared for the message, "In Memory of Michael Jackson. A True Apollo Legend." Rev. Al Sharpton, a friend of the singer, addressed the huge crowd: "Way before Tiger Woods, way before Oprah Winfrey, way before Barack Obama, Michael did with music what they later did in sports and in politics and in television," he said

2009-06-22T20:35:00.003-04:00

OBAMA COLOR GUARD HERE TO END THE DISCRIMINATION ON BROADWAY AGAINST THE BROTHERS AND SISTERS STAGE HANDS!!

The Broadway Stage Hands Obama Color Guard

RIP AMERICAN HERO VERNON BAKER

APOLLO THEATRE'S WALK OF FAME

APOLLO THEATRE'S OWN WALK OF FAME

Apollo Theater Walk Of Fame

LENA HORNE TOP OF ANY CLASS

DOROTHY HEIGHT, "DRUM MAJOR FOR FREEDOM"

Civil Rights Leader Is Eulogized by Obama

By HELENE COOPER

Published: April 29, 2010

Selma March 2007

Clinton, Obama Commemorate Historic Selma March

Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Selma 45 Years Later

MOVE THE SHOW TO BROADWAY!

MJ'S DOCTOR CHARGED WITH INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER, ORDERED NOT TO SEDATE ANYBODY BY JUDGE AS BAIL POSTED

HOME BOY DENZEL!

WE WILL MISS YOU BELOVED PERCY SUTTON

OBAMA, MLK, MANDELA ET AL THEY KEPT THEIR EYES ON THE PRIZE!

Nobel Peace Prize: ten famous winners

As Barack Obama is announced as the winner of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, we look back at ten of the most famous - and infamous - past winners.

The Subject Was Nuclear Weapons

The Subject Was Nuclear Weapons

Atlanta Judge Orders King Children to Discuss His Estate

SERENA APOLOGIZES BUT NOT LOCAL ONE FOR DISCRIMINATING AGAINST US

Serena Williams Fined After On Court Tirade

Rant Cost Williams $10,000, Match Point in Open Semifinals

DISCRIMINATED AGAINST BUT JANET SAVES THEIR ASS

WHITNEY TELLS OPRAH BOBBY SPAT ON ME

Bobby Brown spat on me, Whitney Houston tells Oprah

What Do Public Tirades Say About Our Current State of Civility?

Kanye West, Serena Williams and Joe Wilson All Recently Lost Control in Public

OBAMA'S KENNEDY EULOGY HIGHLIGHT

TEDDY PASSES AWAY DYNASTY ENDS

Ted Kennedy dies: Chappaquiddick was the fatal flaw that haunted Kennedy's career

For more than 40 years, Edward Kennedy was the keeper of the flame, the last of a dynasty of Kennedy brothers who enjoyed an almost mystical status in the American political scene.

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JAYCEE LEE DUGARD FOUND, RAPED AND GAVE BIRTH TWICE

Jaycee Lee Dugard, a single mom impregnated by her kidnapper

Subscribe

MJ TO BE BURIED AT FOREST LAWN FOR HIS 51 BIRTHDAY

Michael Jackson to be buried on birthday, King of Pop's father says

U.S. SUPREME COURT WILLING TO HEAR DEATH ROW CASE

Supreme Court Says Ga. Man Should Get Hearing

Supreme Court says Georgia man on death row should get chance to prove innocence in court

CIVIL RIGHTS ICON JOSEPH LOWERY AND SIDNEY POITIER RECEIVE MEDAL OF FREEDOM FROM PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

Civil rights icon Rev. Joseph Lowery awarded Medal of Freedom

Posted by The Huntsville Times and Associated Press August 12, 2009 3:26 PM

MJ'S ESTATE GROWS BIGGER BY THE DAY!

Jackson’s Estate Grows Bigger After His Death

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Times Topics: Michael Jackson

'Friendly' beer summit calms race row tensions

OBAMA BEER THIRTY FOR CROWLEY AND GATES 6 PM THURSDAY AT THE OBAMA HOUSE

Michael Jackson planned to direct movie about foster children; sparked by his itinerant childhood

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A Defining Moment Nears for President

Harvard professor Gates arrested at Cambridge home

We are with you Katherine!

Katherine Jackson -- I Will Be Heard!

DONT FORGET OUR STRUGGLE HERE IN LOCAL ONE MR PRESIDENT

At NAACP Centennial, Obama Speaks of Struggle

TITO SAYS MJ WAS KIDS DAD

Michael Jackson Was The Biological Father Of His Kids, Tito Insists

'Those eyes don't lie,' Tito Jackson says of his late brother's youngest child, known as 'Blanket.'

WHO IS WATCHING LOCAL ONE OFICERS?

Manhattan City Councilman Miguel Martinez admits he stole tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars

JACKSON DOC IN CORNER

Jackson Doc Talks Himself Into a Corner

JOE JACKSON WANTS TO FORM JACKSON 3 WITH MJ'S KIDS

MJ MOM AND DEBBIE ROWE PLOT SECRET DEAL

Jackson's Mother and Ex-Wife Plot Secret Custody Deal

Deal Would Give Katherine Custody, Rowe Increased Visitation but Snub Joe Jackson

End African and LOCAL 1 Corruption

Africans reflect on Obama's 'tough love' message

The president used his first African visit – to the democratic bastion of Ghana – to signal a harder-line US approach to dealing with corrupt African leaders.

REMEMBERING MICHAEL JACKSON

Michael Jackson -- on the wall

At Jackson Memorial, Music and Mourning