THE AFRICAN AMERICAN NETWORK (TAAN)

Destinee Hooker is making San Antonio and America proud once again in the Olympics You just never know how far you can go until you dedicate yourself...

The last time I saw Sherman Hemsley was in San Antonio at the San Antonio Museum of Arts at a reception for Martin Luther King III.  He took a picture with Ashton Thompson...during the reception.  He spent some time in San Antonio at the beginning of the year because he was the headliner of stage play "Ain't Misbehavin". Reports: Actor Sherman Hemsley dies in El Paso ©  July 24, 2012 EL PASO, Texas Sherman Hemsley, the actor known for his portrayal of George Jefferson in the television show "The Jeffersons," has died, according to reports by  KVIA.com  and  TMZ.com . The 74-year-old actor reportedly died in his El Paso home today. KVIA, an El Paso television station, cited a friend of Hemsley's, and TMZ cited the El Paso police. Hemsley was born and raised in Philadelphia, according to his biography on IMDB.com. He dropped out of school to join the Air Force and didn't consider pursuing an acting career until after he left the service.

Bishop David Copeland will serve as San Antonio's 2013 Martin Luther King Jr. Chair and lead the efforts of what has been documented, as the largest march in the nation.  

Murder Suspect of Batman Premiere in Aurora, Colorado By Laura Thompson I was quite saddened and my heart deeply touched by the outbreak of the young man, suspect James Holmes, who went on a shooting rampage at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado.  I had never heard of Aurora before, but I won't soon forget it now.  It hit me right in the core of my heart to know that some young man could have gone so far off the edge and make a decision to act out such a horrific violent crime. Just from the news coverage, it seemed that he may be a loner and maybe disconnected from reality.  He would almost have to be living in a world without much interaction with family and friends and not a lot of access to love and hugs.  Something terrible must have happened in his life that he was unable to overcome.  I just feel kind of off centered right now and disconnected from how a person can get so far removed from reality...it happens and it happened, but God help him and watch over all the

North Chamber delivers business awards The North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday honored the  University of Texas at San Antonio  with its new Small Business Advocate of the Year award during the chamber's annual business awards luncheon at Oak Hills Country Club.UTSA was selected for its operation of the  Institute for Economic Development , for its procurement policies in favor of small- and minority-owned businesses, workforce development education and other small-business advocacy efforts. Larry Pyle ,  Layla Maus  and  Alysa Wilson  of  Gladwin Paint Co.  were named Small Business Leaders of the Year.  Others honored by the chamber were: Therrall “TJ” Haywood of Confidential Search Solutions: New Business award. Danny Williams  of  Williams Supply Co.  Ltd.: Business Achievement award. Melinda Rodriguez  of Access Quality Therapy Services: Business Innovation award. Mary Reilly-Magee  of Love to Swim and Tumble School: Employee Relations award.

My oldest sister, Dr. Sophie J. Womack passed away suddenly in February 2008.  She was a physician in Detroit and had a special interest in providing excellent healthcare for infants and women.  I am happy to know that her work has not gone in vain and that Detroit is keeping her passion alive.  The video above and the video below talks about her legacy.

San Antonio Area African American Community Fund Mission To unite and inspire the San Antonio area to invest in a living legacy in support of the African American Community Governed and administered by San Antonio community residents, the San Antonio African American Community Fund is dedicated to: supporting grassroots nonprofit organizations effectively serving African Americans increasing community participation, charitable giving, and voluntarism responding to the needs of the area African American community Arts/Culture The history and culture of a community can be remembered, preserved and shared with others through various forms of artistic expression that celebrate, inspire and enlighten. The fund will give consideration to programs and initiatives that present the uniqueness of African American arts, and promote and preserve the rich and diverse African American cultural traditions in an educational, informational, inclusive and entertaining manner. Com

First African-American man to walk in space wants others to follow in his footsteps Source: The Voice -  By Merissa Richards DREAM JOB: Dr Harris AS A teenager, Dr Bernard Harris used to spend many afternoons watching space programmes on television. Inspired by scenes showing people boldly going where no one has gone before, Harris vowed he would one day join them. Years later, Harris followed his dream - making history when he became the first African-American man to set foot in space. "I always had a desire to travel to space," said 54-year-old Harris, from Houston, Texas. "I started off working for NASA [National Aeronautics and Space Administration] in 1986 as a flight surgeon and researcher prior to becoming an astronaut." In a lengthy career, Harris has had the chance to do what millions of people dream of – travel into space, which he has done two times. “My first mission was in 1993 with the European Space Agency in Germany. Th

President Barack Obama is scheduled to zip in and out of Texas on Tuesday in a speedy fundraising jaunt that could garner his presidential campaign millions of dollars and maybe even represent a record haul for the president. Obama will start his day Tuesday in Washington, D.C. Then he'll fly to San Antonio for two fundraisers before coming to Austin for two more. A source close to the events said the president is expecting to collect upward of $2 million for his campaign, possibly outpacing his previous one-day fundraising totals in Texas. In Austin, the president's first stop will be a fundraiser beginning at 3 p.m. at the Austin Music Hall, where Obama will attend an event by the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) Leadership Council. Musician Jerry Jeff Walker is scheduled to perform. "We are proud and happy to support the president on his swing though Texas," Walker said through his office. "Hope we can do it again in a few years."

BY RONALD E. FRANKLIN As I was growing up in the segregated South of the 1950s, the NAACP was an important part of my world.  NAACP President Ben Jealous announcing the organization's stance on gay marriage. I heard about it in school — many teachers and principals were members and openly advocated for students to become involved. But it was in church that the influence of the NAACP was most pervasive. Often, pastors and other church leaders were officers in the local branch, and the NAACP was considered, in effect, an arm of the ministry of the church. Now, however, with the organization’s decision to support same-sex marriage, it appears that the black church is no longer welcome in the NAACP. In response, the NAACP will find that it is no longer welcome in much of the church. And that is a shame. Formed in 1909 to counter the accelerating disenfranchisement of African-Americans by Southern state legislatures as well as legally sanctioned racial discrimination thr

   Although President Barack Obama was unable to attend this year's NAACP Convention this year in Houston, Texas, he was there in 2009. View the speech Obama presented at the 2009 NAACP National Convention in New York                                                                             He delivered his promise on creating a healthcare bill that benefits us...give him the opportunity to see it through and to see the benefits.  He is still fighting for us! Listen to his thirty seven minute speech in New York...he spoke directly to us, about our issues and the history from whence we came.

Mitt Romney said after being booed at the NAACP today that he "expected" the strong objection in response to his pledge to repeal President Obama's health care law. The black audience members rained boos on Romney three times during his speech -- first when he said he'd repeal the health law, once when he said Obama's record proves he hasn't done enough on the economy and other matters, and once when he told them that he would be a president who makes the lives of African-Americans better. In a friendly-territory interview on Fox Business Network, Romney told the Republican-fond host Neil Cavuto, "I think we expected that, of course." "I am going to give the same message to the NAACP that I give across the country, which is that Obamacare is killing jobs, and if jobs is the priority, then we're going to have to replace it with something that actually holds down healthcare costs, as opposed to causing more spending for the government