THE AFRICAN AMERICAN NETWORK (TAAN)

Whitney Houston Dead at 48 Whitney Houston  has passed away at the age of 48, sources confirm to JustJared.com . The singer passed away on Saturday (February 11). She was expected to show up at a studio for a photo shoot in the afternoon and to attend  Clive Davis ‘ Annual  Grammy  Party in the evening, JustJared.com  can exclusively reveal. Whitney  was the first female artist to ever debut at number one on the Billboard charts and she is considered one of the world’s best-selling female artists with over 200 million albums sold worldwide. After struggling with addiction,  Whitney  returned to the music scene in 2009 with her album  I Look to You . Later this year,  Whitney ‘s new film  Sparkle  will be released into theaters. Check out a  brand new still  from the film that was released last week. Whitney  is survived by her daughter  Bobbi Kristina , whom she had with ex-husband  Bobby Brown . SOURCE:  JustJared.com

I was surprised when I did not see a lot of hoop lah on Facebook about Roland Martin's indefinite suspension from CNN.  And in the wake of our upcoming election year, his voice is necessary to help us funnel through the rhetoric that is sometimes clouded with propaganda that we sometimes accept as truth.  I have not posted on my blog in a couple of days, but as I scrolled through Facebook...I felt I should have heard something...but no big deal seemed to be made about the absence of Roland's presence from CNN. I then did a search on Google and found the article below written by Raynard Jackson and he is basically saying the same thing that I was thinking.  Read his perspective.... Roland Martin, CNN, GLAAD and the silence of black leaders By Raynard Jackson Journalist Roland Martin. (Donald Traill - AP) Source:  Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC, a D.C. public relations/government affairs firm. I originally had

Jackie Gorman-Johnson, executive director of San Antonio for Growth on the Eastside, credits her leadership skills and business acumen to the Girl Scouts, growing up as a “military brat,” and mentors who taught her service is the price paid for living on Earth. “I am the leader that I am because of being a Girl Scout,” Gorman-Johnson, 53, said. “They taught me I could do anything.” This year, as the  Girl Scouts of the United States of America  celebrates its 100th anniversary, she is the chairwoman of the Council of Southwest Texas' celebration program, along with her job on the leadership team at the nonprofit organization, which helps small businesses grow. She rises at 4 a.m., a testament to the organizational skills she learned as a Scout, on track for a 12-hour day. An hour later, she's jogging on the elliptical machine, or, as she calls it, the “instrument of torture.” By 8:30, she's in her office at SAGE, overseeing initiatives including the Store-Front Gr

Michelle Obama promotes healthy eating during a recent visit to Florida. (AP photo) Some parents and students in Fort Worth and Dallas have been invited to take part in Texas anti-obesity events featuring first lady Michelle Obama. The First Lady will visit the cities later this week as part of a three-day tour to promote and discuss  Let’s Move , a program to reduce childhood obesity, according to a White House press release. The trip coincides with the program’s two-year anniversary on Feb. 9. Other stops include Arkansas, Iowa and Florida. On the evening of Feb. 9, the first lady will be at a Fort Worth Olive Garden for a roundtable dinner discussion with parents to discuss how they are working for healthier habits in their homes and communities. The restaurant was chosen because Darden, the company that owns Olive Garden and several other chain-restaurants, has committed to improving their children’s menus by offering a fruit or vegetable and low-fat milk with

At a White House-sponsored conference on Women-Owned businesses, Obama administration officials report gains in the face of scarce capital. By Jonathan P. Hicks Posted: 02/03/2012 01:19 PM EST Filed Under   Arianna Huffington ,  White House Business Council ,  Valarie B. Jarrett ,  White House Council On Women And Girls , Barack Obama ,  U.S. Small Business Administration ,  Entrepreneur ,  National Women’s Business Council ,  Barnard College ,  President Obama ,  White House ,  National News ,  Obama Woman-owned businesses are growing more rapidly than the national average, with companies owned by African-American women growing at an even larger pace, according to a senior official of the  United States Department of Commerce. Those were among the many facts that emerged at a forum presented in New York City by the  Obama administration, which sent some of its highest-ranking women in the field of business to speak with more than 200 women entrepreneurs. T

A record number of women, especially African American women are diagnosed with cancer daily and they are diagnosed at a younger age than women of other ethnic groups.  The founder and chief executive officer of Susan G. Komen for the Cure reversed her decision today to reinstate funding to Planned Parenthood for mammogram screenings. There was an out pour of appeals, opinions and reasons why Nancy Brinker should reconsider her decision and, believe it or not, some who were against her decision.  Susan G. Komen for the Cure has been supported by cancer survivors, groups, companies, volunteers and cancer victims and the outcry was constant all day about the decision to pull funding from an organization that serves low income women who would not otherwise be able to afford mammograms. Source:  latimes.com  By Jeannine Stein, Los Angeles Times / For the Booster Shots blog (Story Below) As soon as Susan G. Komen for the Cure issued an unexpected statement reversing its decision to cut

"Don Cornelius was an icon among African Americans and among Americans...his idea to promote some of the greatest talent in American history spanned over three decades.  I know it was something that I looked forward to every Saturday.  Don became a part of many homes in America and he will be sorely missed.  As the story unfolds, please pray for his family and thank them for sharing their loved one life with us for so many years.  R.I.P."  _TheAfricanAmericanNetwork.blogspot.com Source:  Verne Gay,  Don Cornelius is dead in an apparent suicide, TMZ and The Associated Press are reporting. The 75-year-old creator of "Soul Train" shot himself to death Wednesday morning at his Los Angeles home, police said. "Soul Train" had a vast and lasting influence on pop culture, and seeded -- or at least seeded the idea -- of MTV. (There were many MTV fathers, certainly, but he was one of 'em.)  MORE NEWS:  'Soul Train' host Don Cornelius dies  |  T