BLAM’s HOT TOPICS for 07/18/11 – 07/25/11

Stay up to speed with the current events of the week. Check out BLAM’s HOT TOPICS as it relates to the black experience and beyond.

1. Is BET In The Business Of Silencing Smart Hip Hop?  2. Justice Nixes New Malcolm X Murder Probe. 3. Did Focus On Test Scores In Atlanta Public Schools Spur Cheating?  4. Tavis Smiley and Cornel West Talk About Shortcomings Of Obama During Their “Poverty Tour”   5. An End To The AIDS Epidemic?  6. Rohan Marley Leaves Lauryn Hill (and unborn child) For Brazilian Model.  7. Beyonce’s Dad Speaks Out On Theft Allegations 8. Rep. Allen West: I’m A Threat To Liberals Because ‘I’m The Guy That Got Off Their 21st Century Plantation’ 9. Pastor Rapes 12 Year Old Girl 9 times 10. Chocolate City No More! D.C. Loses Black Majority 11. Black Serial Killer Faces Death Penalty After Found Guilty of Killing 11 Women 12. Dave Chapelle Bombs At Zo’s Charity Comedy Event and Then Returns To Apologize

IS B.E.T. IN THE BUSINESS OF SILENCING SMART HIP HOP?

On July 18th, BET became the target of heavy thumbs and repeated exclamation marks following the ban of Georgia-native rapper Killer Mike’s latest video, “Burn.” Politically charged, the artist expresses his sympathy for the Oscar Grant‘s of our country, the financial plagues of lower-income neighborhoods, lies and deceit within church communities, and the prison industrial complex to name a few AND BET opted to reject the video from its network and banned its play. CLICK HERE for more.

JUSTICE NIXES NEW MALCOM X MURDER PROBE.

Historians have long viewed the assassination as unsolved, as The Times reported Saturday. Several experts have argued that the Justice Department could take up the case under the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act of 2007, but the department, without elaborating, said the crime did not fit the parameters of that act. CLICK HERE to read more.

DID FOCUS ON TEST SCORES IN ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS SPUR CHEATING?

The massive test cheating scandal in Atlanta public schools is alarming only by its breadth and depth.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation confirmed cheating in 44 of 56 public schools it reviewed, and 178 teachers and 38 principals were accused of changing answers on standardized tests or helping students with the answers. Eighty teachers admitted to participating in the cheating.  CLICK HERE for more.

TAVIS SMILEY AND CORNEL WEST TALK ABOUT SHORTCOMINGS OF OBAMA DURING THEIR “POVERTY TOUR.”

Black activists Cornel West and Tavis Smiley are planning a 15-city “Poverty Tour” to bring attention to the needy and to what they say are the failings of President Barack Obama.  CLICK HERE to read more.

AN END TO THE AIDS EPIDEMIC?

A breakthrough in HIV medication is once again leading experts to point to the end of AIDS. New research highlights a growing body of evidence that the drugs used to save the lives of millions of people living with HIV can also prevent the spread of the disease.  CLICK HERE to read more.

ROHAN MARLEY LEAVES LAURYN HILL (AND UNBORN CHILD) FOR A BRAZILIAN MODEL.

Lauryn Hill warned us that some guys are only about “that thing” in her song “Doo Wop,” and now her boyfriend has proved it. The miseducated diva’s longtime squeeze Rohan Marley has left her for Brazilian model Isabeli Fontana — and what’s worse, Lauryn is pregnant with (presumably) his child. CLICK HERE for more.

BEYONCE’S DAD SPEAKS OUT ON THEFT ALLEGATIONS

After lots of speculation on the details of the case, Knowles finally responded in an interview with the Associated Press yesterday.
“We absolutely have not taken any money from Beyoncé, and all dollars will be accounted for,” he said. “In no way have we stole money. Again, this about the people who have made these claims – they have to come into the light.” CLICK HERE for more.

Rep. Allen West: I’m A Threat To Liberals Because ‘I’m The Guy That Got Off Their 21st Century Plantation’

Tea Party Rep. Allen West’s (R-FL) misogynistic comments have provoked a serious backlash. After shooting off an incendiary email demanding that the “vile, unprofessional, and despicable” Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) “shut the heck up” and act like a lady, furious women lawmakers and advocacy groups “lined up to exorciate” the GOP freshman for his own “unprofessional, vitriolic and offensivepersonal attacks.” The Congressional Black Caucus may even seek to discipline its only Republican member.  CLICK HERE for more.

PASTOR  RAPES 12 YEAR OLD GIRL 9 TIMES

The former pastor of the North Carolina church New Life Christian Center, Keith Devon Pitts, has been convicted of nine counts of sexual abuse with the same girl.WCNC News reports that ” his nine counts include sex offense of a child and taking indecent liberties with a child.” CLICK HERE for more.

CHOCOLATE CITY NO MORE! DC LOSES BLACK MAJORITY

A city known as “Chocolate City” for it’s large number of African-Americans, may not be able to call itself that anymore.The Black population in Washington D.C. has slipped under 50 percent this year, close to 51 years after it gained a majority, according to an estimate by William Frey, the senior demographer at the Brookings Institution.  CLICK HERE for more.

BLACK SERIAL KILLER FACES DEATH PENALTY AFTER FOUND GUILTY OF KILLING 11 WOMEN

CLEVELAND (AP) — The nightmares happened when Anthony Sowell was smoking crack cocaine in the company of women, especially if they reminded him of his ex-girlfriend. And, as he told detectives, the nightmares were all the same: They involved him hurting a woman with his hands. Police found 11 bodies buried in his backyard or in his home. CLICK HERE for more.

DAVE CHAPELLE BOMBS AT ZO’S CHARITY COMEDY EVENT AND THEN RETURNS TO APOLOGIZE

Things fell apart for Chappelle Friday night shortly after his first joke, and continued downhill in a bizarre, roughly hour-long standoff with the audience that included Chappelle checking his text messages, refusing to tell jokes, and threatening to outlast the crowd. CLICK HERE for more.