theblackbottom

I AM the youngest of 10 children in my family, and the only one born in the United States. My father was a municipal judge who fled Haiti during the Duvalier regime. He and my mother settled in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn, but could not initially afford to bring over my four brothers and [...]

By STEVEN GREENHOUSE
Published: October 25, 2012
DETROIT — Tired of battling legislative efforts to roll back union rights in state after state, organized labor is trying a new strategy: going on the offense. The first target is Michigan, the cradle of the United Auto Workers and a bastion of union power.
Michigan’s unions are asking voters to [...]

By: Kimberly Bryant

When I was first introduced to computer programming, as a freshman in Electrical Engineering, Fortran and Pascal were the popular languages for newbies in computing and the Apple Macintosh was the new kid on the block. I remember being excited by the prospects, and looked forward to embarking on a rich and rewarding [...]

Michigan Radio
By KATE WELLS
They called it the “Black Eden.”
From the 1920’s to 60’s, tens of thousands of African Americans poured into the resort town of Idlewild, Michigan. They came to escape steaming summers in segregated cities, and to see some of the greatest musicians of the age.

As Idlewild’s centennial summer comes to a close, 90-year-old [...]

Revolutionary ART Presents: Say it Loud!: Supporting Black & Brown Artists in Michigan
Doors at 6:00pm, 18+, $3 suggested donation
All proceeds will go to Heartside Art Gallery http://www.facebook.com/HeartsideGalleryAndStudio
Networking & Dialogue begins at 6:00pm Ends at 8:00pm
Hosted by Rev ART Founders: Johannah Jelks & Georgia Taylor

Music will Be Provided By- Michigan Black Expo URBRadio
Rev art Break out [...]

Emberly Vick, otherwise known as Emberly “The Writer,” admits that she passively ignored relentless urges to write for years. Still, whether explaining a concept or conceptualizing herself, she was clearly ordained to write at an early age.
Excelling in state writing tests in elementary, “TheWriter” never considered writing, not even as a hobby, until college. After [...]

by PAM FESSLER

President Obama’s speech to the National Urban League conference in New Orleans on Wednesday night coincides with a debate over the role of government in helping small businesses succeed.
Some black Americans say they have an especially hard time when it comes to owning and operating their own businesses.
On the northern edge of New [...]

NPR
by Amy Standen
July 23, 2012 from KQED
If there is a founding ethos in the world of high-tech startups, it’s this: The idea is everything. Facebook’s initial public offering might have seemed like the perfect illustration. A simple concept, conceived by a college student, became a $100 billion empire in just 8 years.
But if you look [...]

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Western Michigan has a new top federal prosecutor.
Patrick Miles Jr. took the oath of office today at the federal courthouse in Grand Rapids. He’s a 44-year-old Grand Rapids lawyer who was nominated by President Barack Obama and recently confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
READ MORE

NPR – TED Radio Hour

Africa: The Next Chapter

“We had to unveil an Africa that wasn’t that well known to … a number of audiences.” — Emeka Okafor
There are many stereotypes about Africa: that it’s a place of conflict, of disease, war and famine. Or that it’s a single place rather than [...]