Police Shoot And Kill Unarmed, Handcuffed Black Man In Back

As a group of young men questioned why they were being detained on an Oakland, CA train platform, and grew irate when they saw a transit officer manhandle one of their friends, Oscar Grant tried to reassure them everything was going to be OK.

"'Just be cool,'" Jackie Bryson recalled Grant saying to him. "'We are going home tonight.'"

Grant, 22, never made it home. He was shot and killed by officer Johannes Mehserle, who worked for Bay Area Rapid Transit and has been charged with Grant's murder on New Year's Day 2009 reported the AP.

The officer who has pleaded not guilty claiming that he thought he was using his taser.

Grant was lying on his stomach handcuffed when he was shot. Grant's friend Bryson has testified that officer Mehserle stood up and said '(expletive) this' and then he shoots Grant."

It has been reported that Bryson may have tainted his testimony because he made it clear that he had a general mistrust for police and even prosecutors. The truth is that too many young black men living in America do have a general mistrust of the police.

The mistrust comes from stories like this one that spread throughout the black communities across this country when brothers are murdered by the police. It does not help when one finds out that the victim was face down on the ground with his hands handcuffed behind his back and the police obviously in total control of the situation.

Top 200 Jobs Based On Top Salary Earned

The 200 jobs are listed based on the average top salary earned for the position. The list starts out with the job paying the highest amount (Surgeons) and ends with the position which pays the lowest amount (Dishwasher).

The list does not include celebrity and professional athlete jobs like actors, baseball players, singers, etc.

200 Jobs Organized by Top Salary 1

The 200 jobs are listed based on the average top salary for the position. The list starts out with the job paying the lowest amount (Dishwasher) and ends with the position which pays the highest amount (Surgeon).

Historic Picture Of Slave Children For Sale Found In Attic

This photograph of two slave children and an accompanying document were purchased at a garage sale in Charlotte, North Carolina.

This photograph is rare because so many photos of slaves showed them in submissive positions, illustrating the brutality of their condition, and some even showing the scars on their backs from whippings.

One thing is for sure about this photograph. It does not show a hint of happiness anywhere in the eyes or faces of these two children.

The accompanying document mentions that John is for sale for $1,150 in 1854.

"I buy stuff all the time, but this shocked me," Keya Morgan, who bought the photo, told The Associated Press. Morgan, a New York art collector, said he paid $30,000 for the album containing the photograph and another $20,000 for the document.

Wake Up! Stats About Black Males

It should be easy to understand why many people believe that the more things change for blacks in America, the more things stay the same. It will be a good day in America when blacks do not fare the worst or toward the bottom in categories such as education, housing, health care, incarceration, income, and employment.

The statistics on black males below are staggering. On another note, black women who are more reluctant to date and marry outside of their race than women of other races do not have to look any further than the data posted below to understand one of the main reasons why there is a shortage of brothers.

1. In 1990 the United States had the highest prison population in the world. In July 2003, the prison population surpassed 2 Million. More than 10,000 inmates in adult institutions are under the age of 18.

2. According to the Justice Department: (i) 10.4% of African American males between 25-29 are incarcerated; (ii) 2.4% of Hispanics; and (iii) 1.2% of White males.

3. In 1980, 143,000 African American males were in prison while 463,000 were in college. By 2000, 791,600 African American males were in prison while 603,032 were in college according to a new study from the Justice Policy Institute. .

3a. Before the prison boom, black men in college outnumbered black men behind bars by a ratio of 3 to 1. After twenty years of harsh criminal justice policies which basically started in the 1980's under a U.S. President (1981 - 1989) and with the popularity of crack cocaine in the 1980's, this ratio has become approximately 1 to 1in favor of black men behind bars when compared to black men in college and universities.

4. According to the Department of Education 46.8% of White 10th graders go to school where there are security guards; 71.2% for African Americans

5. According to the Department of Education 3.3% of White 10th graders pass thru metal detectors to go to school; 21.3% for African Americans

6. According to the Department of Education 1.7% of White 10th graders attend class where windows are barred; 9.3% for African Americans

7. 63% of youth suicides occur in fatherless homes

8. 85% of children with behavioral disorders are in fatherless homes

9. 80% of all rapists are from fatherless homes

10. 71% of high school drop outs are from fatherless homes

11. 75% of children in chemical abuse centers are from fatherless homes

12. 85% of youth in prison come from fatherless homes

13. For every 100 females, between the ages of 20-24 who commit suicide, there are 624 males

14. For every 100 females, between the ages of 18-21 in a correctional facility, there are 1,488 males

15. A black man is the President of the United States.

Marriage And Divorce In America - In Black And White

Marriage and divorce in America are statistics that are almost impossible to find based on race. Interestingly, marriage and divorce are not two categories where blacks are always on the bottom and whites are on the top.

Since marriage in some states is as young as 15 years old, the U.S. Census calculates the marriage and divorce data below based on people in the U.S. who are 15 years old or older.

The numbers are below are from the U.S. Census Bureau SIPP, 2004 Panel. The results below show percentages that are all rounded up or down accordingly.

Percentage of people that have NEVER been married.

Black women - 44%, Black men - 46%
Latina women - 30%, Latino men - 39%
Asian women - 23%, Asian men - 33%
White women - 22%, White men - 28%

Percentage of people married more than one time. Individuals in this group could have married two, three, or more times.

White women - 19%, White men - 17%
Black women - 11%, Black men - 11%
Latina women - 9%, Latino men - 7%
Asian women - 6%, Asian men - 5%

Percentage of people who have been divorced at least one time in their life.

White women - 25%, White men - 23%
Black women - 20%, Black men - 19%
Latina women - 15%, Latino men - 11%
Asian women - 10%, Asian men - 7%

Mystery Man Wins S.C. Democratic Senate Primary

This is history in the making. A brother named Alvin Green actually ran in the Democratic Senate primary without making his identity known during the campaign.

He is an unemployed military veteran who did not set up a campaign website or raise funds for his campaign. Alvin Green spent 13 years in the Air Force and Army before leaving the Army in August.

Green could not explain his win against a four term state lawmaker named Vic Rawl. Alvin shocked South Carolina's Democratic Party leadership by capturing the nomination Tuesday, and he will face Republican U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint in November.

Senator Jim Demint is a Republican Tea Party favorite who is running for a second 6 year Senate term. Alvin is hoping he is a winner again in the fall.

Alvin Green wants to continue to make history and get South Carolina back to work. South Carolina had an unemployment rate of 11.6% in April 2010 versus the Southern region rate of 9.6% according to the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Surgery For Back Pain Rarely Cures

The shocking question came from a respected spine surgeon tracked down by Keith Swenson, who was still in severe pain after an earlier back operation.

He didn't know what to believe. Two other surgeons had urged more operations, different ones.

And Swenson, who's from Howard Lake, Minn., is far from alone. Even though only a fraction of people with back pain are good candidates for surgery, complicated spine operations are on the rise.

So is the hunt for any relief.

By one recent estimate, Americans are spending a staggering $86 billion a year in care for aching backs - from MRIs to pain pills to nerve blocks to acupuncture. That research found little evidence that the population got better as the bill soared over the past decade.

Please read the rest of this very informative post by the AP because it speaks to the untold number of Americans opting for back surgery based on a doctor's opinion when back surgery is not the best available option for the patient. Surgery is invasive and can be painful when it does not cure. It is also costly whether the patient pays out of pocket or a health insurance company has to pay.

Marrying Between Races - See The Numbers

In 1967,the U.S. Supreme Court struck down state laws banning interracial marriage.

A record 14.6% of all new marriages in the U.S. in 2008 were between people of different races or ethnicity. The percentage was 6.7% in 1980 according to a Pew Research Study. It took nearly 28 years for intermarriages of newlyweds to double.

Rate of increase from 1980 thu 2008 of intermarriages as a group.


Blacks - tripled
Whites - doubled
Asians - the same
Latinos - the same



Percentage of Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites who married outside of their race or ethnicity as a group.

Asians - 31%
Latino - 26%
Blacks - 16%
Whites - 9%

Percentage of Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites who married outside of their race or ethnicity by gender.

Asian women 40%, men 20%
Latino women 26%, men 26%, identical for Latino men and women
Black women 9%, men 22%
White women 9%, men 9%, identical for White men and women

Regional intermarriage rates in the United States in 2008

West 21%
Northeast 13%
South 13%
Midwest 11%

Intermarriage types in 2008 of newly married couples (280,000)

White/Latino - 41%
Both Mixed Races or at least one spouse of Mixed Race or American Indian 17%
Both Non-white 16%
White/Asian - 15%
White/Blacks - 11%

Asian and Latino intermarriage rates when foreign born versus American born.

Latino American born - 39%
Latino foreign born - 12%

Asian American born - 46%
Asian foreign born - 26%

In response to how one would act if a family member was going to marry someone of a different race.
There is a much greater acceptance level if someone in the family marries a white person versus a black person. 81% said it is okay if the person is white versus only 66% if the person is black.

Percentage of people that found ACCEPTANCE with the idea.

White - 81%
Asian - 75%
Latino - 73%
Black - 66%

When asked if one has a close relative or family member from another race or ethnicity, the percentage that say YES are listed below.

ALL 35%
Non White 50%
White 29%

Arizona Elementary School Will Whiten Faces Of Mural - UPDATE

An elementary school in Arizona called Miller Valley Elementary School hired artists to work on a school mural. The mural project caused a lot of racial controversy as well as a racial debate.

The “Go on Green” mural covers two walls outside Miller Valley Elementary School, and it aims to advertise a campaign for environmentally friendly transportation. It features portraits of four children, and a Hispanic boy as the predominant figure.

The Arizona Republic reports that faces in the mural were drawn from photographs of children enrolled at Miller Valley, a K-5 school with 380 students and the highest ethnic mix of any school in Prescott.

Here is a quote from the Councilman Steve Blair who was not happy with the original theme of the mural.

"I am not a racist individual, but I will tell you depicting a black guy in the middle of that mural, based upon who's President of the United States today and based upon the history of this community, when I grew up we had four black families -who I have been very good friends with for years - to depict the biggest picture on that building as a black person, I would have to ask the question, Why?"

According to R.E. Wall, Director of Prescott's Downtown Mural Project, as the mural was being worked on for two months, there were people driving by in their cars hurling racial slurs for blacks and Latinos even when there were young African American and Latino students of the school painting on the mural with the artists.

Initially, the school's administrators bowed to pressure and the decision was made to whiten faces in the mural.

UPDATE: Good news - Jeff Lane, the Principal of Miller Valley Elementary School, and Kevin Kapp, the school Superintendent showed up at a protest to apologize for initally giving in to the crazy racists. They have decided that the mural's finished look will reflect its original theme.

It is also being reported that Councilman Steve Blair has been fired from his KYCA AM radio show which he used as a platform to speak out against the mural.

Police Punished For Stopping Doctor En Route To Hospital For Delivery Of Baby

Two Pulaski, TN Police officers involved with the arrest of Doctor Terry Wynn on May 5 have been suspended without pay.

"Simply put, they did not weigh the actions of Doctor Wynn versus the immediate medical attention that was needed for her patient," Police Chief John Dickey told the Board of Mayor and Alderman.

The City of Pulaski called in an outside law firm to investigate the arrest. According to the police chief, racism was not an issue, but the officers should have used better judgement when determining the seriousness of the situation.

The police pulled over the doctor who was driving faster than the speed limit. She explained that she was on her way to the hospital to deliver a baby. She pulled off driving less than a mile to the hospital.

The police officer followed her to the hospital parking lot and arrested her. Fortunately, a relative of the expecting mom was able to call the police station and explain everything to the chief.

The chief agreed that the doctor should be able to deliver the baby and freed Dr. Terry Wynn before she was booked.

Defendant Miranda Rights Eroded

The Supreme Court by the typical 5 to 4 vote with the same justices usually falling into the same camp deciding that a suspect will now have to clearly declare that he wants to remain silent and cannot simply be silent during questioning.

The court addressed what happens when a suspect declines to answer hours of questions, then makes a potentially incriminating statement and later says he had wanted to remain silent and that his statement was not made freely.

With the new ruling, a suspect must be very clear that he wants to remain silent or anything he says can be used against him in the court of law.

Below are a few frequently asked questions and answers about the Miranda law.

1.When Will The Police Read Me My Miranda Rights?
The police must advise suspects of their "Miranda Rights" - their right to remain silent, their right to an attorney, and the right to an appointed attorney if they are unable to afford counsel - prior to conducting a custodial interrogation. If a suspect is not in police custody (i.e., "under arrest"), the police do not have to warn him of his rights.

The police are very aware of when they have to read suspects their "Miranda Rights." The police will frequently question a suspect, specifically telling the suspect, "You are not under arrest, and are free to go. However, we would like you to answer some questions." After the suspect voluntarily answers questions, and sometimes if he refuses, he is arrested. The questioning, being voluntary and non-custodial, is usually admissible. After arrest, the police may have no interest in further questioning, and thus may not ever read the suspect his "Miranda Rights."

2.If The Police Don't Read Me My Rights, Can They Still Use My Statement?
Sometimes, a suspect will make voluntary statements after he is arrested. The police do not have to warn suspects not to make voluntary statements, as long as they do not deliberately try to elicit those statements through statements or conduct. Sometimes, suspects will express their surprise at being caught by the police, with statements to the effect of, "You got me." At other times, suspects will try to justify their actions to the police after they are arrested, with statements such as, "I don't know why I did it," or, "The drugs weren't mine - I was carrying them for a friend." Those statements, if made spontaneously by a suspect, will almost always be admissible in court. Additionally, if a statement leads to the discovery of other evidence, even if the statement itself was taken in violation of the Miranda ruling the police may be able to use that evidence.

3.Can My Silence Be Used Against Me In Court?
When a person chooses to remain silent after receiving his Miranda warnings, that silence cannot be used against him in court. However, if a person has not received his Miranda warnings, and remains silent, it is possible for that "pre-Miranda" silence to be used against him. For example, if a person is arrested for murder, or is told that he is a suspect, a typical innocent person will express disbelief and may even try to present an alibi. It would be unusual for a person to simply remain silent, after being informed that he is being wrongfully charged with murder - even people who know their right to remain silent will often express surprise. A prosecutor may subsequently argue that the "pre-Miranda" silence resulted from the fact that the defendant was not surprised that the police "figured it out."

4.How Do I Protect Myself From Having My "Pre-Miranda" Silence Used Against Me?If you are under investigation for a criminal offense, you can prevent "pre-Miranda" silence from becoming an issue by stating, "My attorney told me never to talk to the police without talking to him first. Do I have to answer your questions?" Once informed that you have the right to remain silent, no negative inference can be drawn from your exercise of that right. There is nothing wrong with making your attorney responsible for your choice to remain silent -- it looks a lot more suspicious if you simply refuse to answer questions than if you present the explanation that your attorney gave you standing advice not to answer questions.

5.If I Remain Silent Or Ask For A Lawyer, Won't The Police Think I Am Guilty?
The police tend to draw a negative inference from the fact that suspects refuse to answer questions, or where suspects hire attorneys ("lawyer up") before they are charged with crimes. However, there are many cases where the only evidence against a defendant is his confession, or where an innocent person finds that the police have misinterpreted his statements. In one notable case, a police officer was a criminal suspect -- he made a taped statement, expressing his innocence. Subsequently, he was shocked to hear his tape recorded "confession" used against him in court. As it turned out, his statement was recorded on a used tape, which contained a confession from a different case. Part of the old recording, immediately after the end of the police officer's statement, was presented as the defendant's "confession." If that can happen to a police officer, obviously it can happen to you.

If I Choose To Remain Silent, Or Request An Attorney, But Later Decided To Answer Questions, Can They Use My Statement?
If the police do try to question you after your arrest, they are supposed to cease interrogation if you exercise your right to remain silent or request an attorney. It should be noted that the request for an attorney is "more powerful" than a request to remain silent. Courts tend to view police claims that a suspect changed his mind about having an attorney with much more suspicion than claims that the suspect changed his mind about remaining silent.

The police use numerous techniques to get suspects to change their minds about remaining silent. One very simple technique is to use silence against the suspect -- the officer explains, "You don't have to make a statement, but I still have to write up this report, describing what everybody says that you did." The officer, in front of the suspect, then starts to type out his report, saying nothing to the suspect. It is common for the suspect to break the silence, and to choose to make a statement.