WATCH: Obama Comments On #TrayvonMartin Case

Ho-Hum: Another Day, Another Black Boy Murdered

Trayvon Martin was shot at point blank range by a
white guy who said he felt "threatened" by the 17-year old

Ugh, here we go again. There's another case of an unarmed Black male being shot dead by a non-Black person (what a shocker, it's a white guy!). The twist in this case is that the Black male was carrying an ice tea and a bag of Skittles while the shooter is 28-years-old and not a cop, but a "neighborhood watch" vigilante with a 9mm gun.

Charles Blow of the New York Times recounts the facts of the case:

Trayvon had left the house he and his father were visiting to walk to the local 7-Eleven. On his way back, he caught the attention of George Zimmerman, a 28-year-old neighborhood watch captain, who was in a sport-utility vehicle. Zimmerman called the police because the boy looked “real suspicious,” according to a 911 call released late Friday. The operator told Zimmerman that officers were being dispatched and not to pursue the boy. 

Zimmerman apparently pursued him anyway, at some point getting out of his car and confronting the boy. Trayvon had a bag of Skittles and a can of iced tea. Zimmerman had a 9 millimeter handgun.The two allegedly engaged in a physical altercation. There was yelling, and then a gunshot. 

When police arrived, Trayvon was face down in the grass with a fatal bullet wound to the chest. Zimmerman was standing with blood on his face and the back of his head and grass stains on his back, according to The Orlando Sentinel. 

Trayvon’s lifeless body was taken away, tagged and held. Zimmerman was taken into custody, questioned and released. Zimmerman said he was the one yelling for help. He said that he acted in self-defense. The police say that they have found no evidence to dispute Zimmerman’s claim.

 Zimmerman has not been charged with any crime more than 3 weeks after the incident. Of course this raises several questions in the head of most observers. Blow goes on to list just a few:

Why did Zimmerman find Trayvon suspicious? Why did he pursue the boy when the 911 operator instructed him not to? Why did he get out of the car, and why did he take his gun when he did? How is it self-defense when you are the one in pursuit? Who initiated the altercation? Who cried for help? Did Trayvon’s body show evidence of a struggle? What moved Zimmerman to use lethal force?

Another columnist, Leonard Pitts, Jr. writing in the Houston Chronicle lists some more questions:

How can you get out of your truck against police advice, instigate a fight, get your nose bloodied in said fight, shoot the person you were fighting with, and claim self-defense? If anyone was defending themselves, wasn't it Trayvon Martin? Would police have been so forbearing had Martin confronted and killed an unarmed George Zimmerman? 

Is this really a racial Rohrschach test? Do white people and black people see this case differently? If you wonder why Black people don't trust in "justice" in America, the names Amadou Diallo, Sean Bell, Oscar Grant and nowTrayvon Martin are just a few of the reasons.

Celebrating 100th Anniversary of Bayard Rustin's Birth

Martin Luther King, Jr (left) with Bayard Rustin, one of the key architects
and organizing strategists of the Afrcan American civil rights movement

Today is March 17, 2012, the centennial of the birth of Bayard Rustin, a giant in the Civil Rights Movement for racial equality, and an openly Black gay man. Rustin is well-known as Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "right hand man," the organizer of the 1963 March on Washington where King gave his "I Have A Dream" speech. Rustin was also one of the co-founders of the Congress on Racial Equality (CORE) and a primary organizer of the Freedom Rides of the 1960s.

Despite being the subject of an award-winning documentary called Brother Outsider (available on Netflix), the history and legacy of Rustin is not as well-known as it should be, although that is starting to change. For example, recently the City of Berkeley issued a proclamation in recognition of Bayard Rustin's 100th Birthday, but really an activist of his significance and impact one would expect multiple proclamations from various cities around the country.

Happily, the country's only national Black LGBT organization, the National Black Justice Coalition, has realized the opportunity of Bayard Rustin's centennial and is using it to organize a year-long series of events, in conjunction with the producers of the documentary, that they are calling the Bayard Rustin Centennial Project:

To honor Rustin's courage and his invaluable legacy, NBJC will spend this year celebrating the beloved "unsung hero" through its commissioned Bayard Rustin Centennial Project and in ongoing collaborations with Walter Naegle, Bayard's surviving partner and Executor/Archivist of the Estate of Bayard Rustin. NBJC is also working with Nancy Kates and Bennett Singer, co-producers and co-directors of Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin, a biographical documentary that asserts Rustin's significance in American history. The recipient of more than 25 awards, Brother Outsider has been screened at The United Nations, The Kennedy Center, and for Members of Congress. 

"The National Black Justice Coalition is looking forward to spearheading this collaborative movement to bring greater visibility to the invaluable legacy of Bayard Rustin.  We recognize and value that our mission mirrors his life's work - to eradicate racism and homophobia," says NBJC's Executive Director Sharon Lettman-Hicks. 

"Furthermore, his identity as an out Black gay man in the Civil Rights Movement lends validity to our belief that legal rights and protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people of all ethnicities are not just civil rights, but human rights, and that Black LGBT people absolutely deserve a place at the table of equality." 

NBJC's Bayard Rustin Centennial Project is honored to join in the year-long series of celebratory events taking place across the country and to build upon more than 30 years of Black LGBT community tributes to the late, great, beloved freedom fighter.

I'm sure that as more people learn about Bayard Rustin, they too will be as inspired by his life and legacy as I was when I co-founded the Barbara Jordan / Bayard Rustin Coalition, a Los Angeles-area Black LGBT community education and social justice advocacy organization in 2006.

Happy Birthday, Bayard!

Eye Candy: D Rice (reprise)

D Rice is a "phyne brutha" who has been featured Eye Candy before (on January 11, 2010). The good folks at Physique Publishing gave me access to the above shots which they are promoting as birthday cards.

They also provided me some details about D Rice, saying that he is 26-years-old, 6' 1" and 200 pounds. Although he lives in Chicago now, he was born in the Dominican Republic, which by definition makes him both of Caribbean descent and Blatino ethnicity.

Regardless of where he is from, he clearly has the potential to go very far as a model, and is definitely Eye Candy!

Eye Candy: Daniel Louisy (reprise)

Daniel Louisy is a smoking hot Black British model who first appeared as Eye Candy on December 19, 2011.

I thought you all might like to see more of Daniel for Black History Month. Enjoy!

Celebrity Friday: Paris Barclay, A Gay, Black A-list Director

Paris Barclay is a highly acclaimed, openly gay television director who has worked on many high-profile television series such as Lost, Glee, ER, House, Sons of Anarchy, The West Wing and Smash, among others. He is the most prominent openly gay, African-American person in Hollywood.

Karen Ocamb has posted an incredible profile of Barclay at her LGBTPOV blog:

But what makes Barclay so notable – more so than being prolific and fiscally reliable – is his determined, smart passion for justice and equality. That Glee Emmy nomination was for a Nov. 11, 2009 episode called “Wheels” that won him a DGA Award, a Peabody Award for excellence in broadcasting and the Visionary Leadership Award at the 2010 Shane’s Inspiration Gala for highlighting the abilities of people with disabilities. Glee creator Ryan Murphy called it “the turning point for the show.” And TV Guide named the “Hearts and Souls” episode of NYPD Blue (where Jimmy Smit’s character dies) and the “Three Stories” episode of House in their 100 Best Episodes of All Time.
[...]
But Paris Barclay doesn’t just integrate his passion for justice and equality in his craft: he lives it. In the Los Angeles LGBT and HIV/AIDS communities, he is known for his long commitment to improving the lives of others. He has raised funds for the Van Ness Recovery House, for Project Angel Food during the harrowing 1990s and the Black AIDS Institute, founded by his cousin, longtime HIV/AIDS activist Phill Wilson, among other HIV/AIDS and LGBT organizations. When Project Angel Food honored him with their Founders Award in 1998, Barclay said: “I consider my work for this organization my highest accomplishment….What’s the point of any success if you don’t give something back?”

That's why Paris Barclay is today's Celebrity Friday.

Eye Candy: Vernon Brown (reprise)

Vernon Brown is another one of those finds of the discerning eye of David Dust. There are pages around the web which say that he is from Richmond, Virginia and put his stats at 6'4", 210 pounds and 28-years-old in 2010 (so probably 30 years old now). He first appeared here as Eye Candy on Martin Luther King day (January 16, 2012). This time he is appearing as part of our collection of beautiful African American models for Black History Month! Enjoy :-)

Please Support American Promise

I saw this Kickstarter appeal at Kenneth Walsh's Kenneth in the 212 blog. It's a film by parents of two Black boys who have been following them around with cameras for the last twelve years to document the experience of Idris and Seun as they try to overcome the pressures and barriers which cause just 1 out of 4 African-American boys to graduate from high school.

These are topics near and dear to my heart so I encourage you to watch the video pitch above and then support the filmmakers so they can finish the film.

Hat/tip to Kenneth in the 212.

Eye Candy: Darrell Holloman (black/white)

Darrell Holloman has appeared twice before as Eye Candy on March 21, 2011 and June 27, 2011. As you can see, he has an incredibly chiseled physique which looks even more amazing when presented in the high contrast of black and white photography.

Enjoy!

Eye Candy: Marcus Randall (reprise)

Marcus Randall has appeared on Eye Candy before, on September 21, 2009. He has appeared as a Hunk du Jour and modeled for clothing labels like Rufskin. I thought y'all might want to see more pictures of him.

Enjoy!

WATCH: TV Ad For Meryl Streep's The Iron Lady

Harvey Weinstein is pushing hard to help Meryl Streep to finally win her 3rd Oscar for her stunning performance in The Iron Lady. Watch the television ad which ostensibly is promoting the movie but is also pushing Streep towards her much deserved win. However, Viola Davis from The Help is the sentimental (*cough* white guilt *cough*) favorite and won the Screen Actors Guild award which is a good sign she has a big following among the actors, which is the largest branch of the Academy. If Davis were to win she would be only the second black woman in 84 years to win for Lead Actress (Halle Berry for Monster's Ball). In fact the number of Black people who have won Oscars in my lifetime can basically be counted on one hand  two hands (Denzel Washington (twice!), Jennifer Hudson, Halle Berry, Whoopi Goldberg, Jamie Foxx, Forrest Whitaker, Morgan Freeman and Monique).

What do YOU think is going to happen at the Oscars on Sunday February 26th?

Celebrity Friday: Freeman Hrabowski, University President

For today's Celebrity Friday for the first Friday in Black History Month our subject is Freeman Hrabowski, III, the President of the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Hrabowski, 61, is one of the great role models for African Americans  in the Academy.

Here is just an excerpt of his official biography:

Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, has served as President of UMBC (The University of Maryland, Baltimore County) since 1992. His research and publications focus on science and math education, with special emphasis on minority participation and performance. He chaired the National Academies committee that recently produced the report, “Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation: America’s Science and Technology Talent at the Crossroads.”

In 2008, he was named one of America’s Best Leaders by U.S. News & World Report, which in 2009, 2010, and 2011 ranked UMBC the #1 “Up and Coming” university in the nation. In 2011, U.S. News also ranked UMBC 4th nationally for “Best Undergraduate Teaching” – tied with Yale and immediately before Brown and Stanford. In 2009, TIME magazine named him one of America’s 10 Best College Presidents. In 2011, he received both the TIAA-CREF Theodore M. Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence and theCarnegie Corporation of New York’s Academic Leadership Award, recognized by many as the nation’s highest awards among higher education leaders.  Also in 2011, he was named one of seven Top American Leaders by The Washington Postand the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership.

[...]

Born in 1950 in Birmingham, Alabama, Hrabowski graduated at 19 from Hampton Institute with highest honors in mathematics. At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he received his M.A. (mathematics) and four years later his Ph.D. (higher education administration/statistics) at age 24.

Ph.D. in Mathematics and a University President for more than 20 years!

Eye Candy: Filipe from MundoMais (again!)

Filipe from MundoMais has appeared as Eye Candy before, but despite the fact that I don't know his surname (or really even if the guy's name is really "Filipe") there's just some ineffable quality about him that makes me want to see more.

I couldn't decide on which three shots to show you, so I just went with all four. Enjoy!

Celebrity Friday (bonus): Michael K. Williams Endorses Marriage equality

We have a BONUS Celebrity Friday today. Michael K. Williams is known for his amazing role as the openly gay Omar on the seminal television show The Wire. Today he is making news by joining HRC's Americans for Marriage Equality.

Happy MLK Day!

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!

Eye Candy: Vernon Brown

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! Vernon Brown is a 30-year-old model who according to the Beautiful Men Blog is 6'4, 210 pounds and wears a size 14shoe. Gulp!

Eye Candy: Nick Denbeigh (black and white)

Nick Denbeigh is rapidly becoming one of my favorite Eye Candy models. He has already appeared 3 times on the blog (February 1, 2010; October 10, 2011; November 28, 2011), and now he becomes the second person, after the amazing Santiago Peralta to appear 4 times.

Today I was able to find a number of interesting black-and-white shots which showcase Nick's best assets (his eyes and chest). A nice way to start 2012 :)

Eye Candy: Daniel Louisy

Daniel Louisy is a Black British model who was a finalist in an international Calvin Klein underwear modelling competition and who has been featured on blogs such as Dark Flex and (of course!) David Dust.

I especially like these black and white images of Daniel. You would never be able to tell he is nearly 6-foot-5-inches!

You can see more shots of Daniel (in color) or follow him on Twitter or Facebook.

Map of Status of Gay Rights in Africa

Joe.My.God links to this interesting map about the state of the law towards homosexuality throughout Africa, provided by ILGA.

Interestingly, friend of MadProfessah.com, Rod McCollum is currently in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for an international AIDS conference and is posting some amazing first person reports of his trip on his blog, Rod 2.0. Check it out!

Eye Candy: Nick Denbeigh (3rd time!)

Nick Denbeigh is one of my favorite male models. He has appeared as Eye Candy on two previous occasions (February 1, 2010 and October 10, 2011). Happily, there are lots of excellent pictures of this handsome and friendly guy on the internet, so he becomes one of the rare models to appear on MadProfessah.com three times (joining Santiago Peralta, Christopher Villa, Phillip Fusco, Deric Mickens and Jon Micklow).

If you have suggestions of what models you would like to see again at Eye Candy, please let me know in the comments!