TheLoop21.com

TheLoop21.com's Keli Goff responds to health care critics

by crystal
TheLoop21.com's Keli Goff responds to her health care critics after receiving lots of comments about her original story posted here at the Loop21 and reposted at the Huffington Post. Keli is a registered Independent but wanted to clear up and respond to her critics who think she leans more to the right. Read what she has to say.

Why was everyone at 'Get Schooled' white?

by raechal
I got the chills Tuesday at the launch of Get Schooled, while watching a clip from Davis Guggenheim's upcoming film on public education. In it, a little Black boy talked to the camera about school and about how his father had died from drugs. It showed the boy entering a lottery for a seat at a reputable charter school in Washington, D.C.

HBCU Sports Blog on college football in the recession

by raechal
I talked to HBCU Sports Blog's Jarrett Carter about how sports programs at historically black colleges and universities are faring as the recession continues to hammer away at Black colleges' already shrinking budgets. 

We continue to hear about the financial struggles of HBCUs. Are we seeing the effects of that on football and other sports anymore than we have in past years?

Whitney will get real on Oprah

by crystal
Whitney Houston will be divulging all, according to Oprah, on her show on Monday. Whitney got mixed reviews on her Good Morning America concert, which also happened to be her latest album's release date, but I happen to think that her appearance on Oprah will be what we're all waiting for. Oprah has a certain quality that makes everyone want to open up to her, but I think the Whitney situation will be another case entirely.

There are so many questions to be answered about the drugs, the domestic abuse, the horrible interview with Diane Sawyer and while I'll definitely be watching, I wonder if Whitney will finally get the redemption she's seeking. The black community can be very welcoming and forgiving but also very cold and cynical. Will we embrace Whitney's homecoming on Oprah and put her past behind us or will we commend her for her honesty and amazing story of self redemption?

Whitney's back to tear down the house on this one.

2009 Black Weblog Award Winners Announced

by lizburr
Late last week, the winners of the 2009 Black Weblog Awards were announced. In its fifth year, the Black Weblog Awards is an annual contest that showcases the best in Black blogging. Over the years the contest has grown to award 200 blogs in over 30 categories. Each category is awarded a Popular Vote, chosen by the public, and a Judges Vote, chosen by a panel of judges. The Aaron Hawkins Award is the only category awarded by the judging panel, given to a blogger who has been blogging continuously for at least five years. 

 

The Afrosphere can make the difference in Stop Black AIDS

by crystal
After last week's kickoff of TheLoop21.com and the Magic Johnson Foundation's summer campaign, Stop Black AIDS, we're turning to the Afrosphere for help. We need to make sure everyone understands AIDS is becoming a "black" disease and putting our families and our future at risk.

In case you missed it, we gathered in New York an all-star panel of influential bloggers and writers from big name organizations, including BlogXilla, of BlogXilla.com; Kenya Byrd, of Essence.com; Chuck Creekmur, of AllHipHop.com; Terrence Dean, author of Hiding in Hip Hop — On the Down Low in the Entertainment Industry from Music to Hollywood; Sonya D. Lockett, of BET; K. Aletha Maybank, of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; and Angela Yee, of Sirius XM Radio's Shade 45 station.

Afrosphere sounds off on color and interracial love

by crystal
Recently, due to Disney's upcoming The Princess and the Frog, interracial dating has become a topic of discussion in the afrosphere. You see, the film features a black heroine and her light-skinned straight-haired prince, whom some feel isn't black enough. Even The New York Times got wind of it and ran an article Sunday questioning whether the movie will "vaporize stereotypes or promote them." The argument is directly related to the prince's physical attributes and other gripes about the vernacular of the supporting firefly character.

Afrosphere responds to Sonia Sotomayor complaints

by crystal
President Obama's nomination of Sonia Sotomayor for a Supreme Court seat Tuesday garnered mixed responses from the GOP and other bloggers in the Afrosphere. Sotomayor would be the first ever Supreme Court justice who is Hispanic, which some think comes into play in the criticism of her.

It's the usual argument though, "is she smart enough?" or "qualified enough?" — and then of course there's the concern that she's too liberal and would favor minorities in her rulings.

Is Michael Steele's speech too late?

by Brooklyne Gipson
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele appeared in front of Republican leaders in Maryland's Prince George's County this week to declare that "the era of apologizing for Republican mistakes of the past is now officially over."

In a forceful speech intended to stabilize the GOP's standing, Steele attacked President Barack Obama directly, despite admonitions from some party members that this should be avoided. Steele stated that he knows a left turn when he sees one and that President Obama is "taking us in the wrong direction and bankrupting the country."

The White House's first poetry jam

by crystal
The Obamas just might change the face of the American presidency by fulfilling their promise to "open up the White House and remind people this is the people's house."