There is a deadline looming of great concern to Black parents of school-aged children. Last month the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a proposed rule that would update the nutritional guidelines for snacks sold in schools for the first time in 30 years. The public has until April 9th, to make comments about [...]
By Cleo Manago, CEO and founder of the Black Men’s Xchange (BMX) According to United States Attorney General, Mr. Eric Holder, “…in things racial [Americans] have always been and continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards.” “Endgame: AIDS in Black America,” an edition of the PBS network’s “Frontline” that aired [...]
By Cleo Manago, CEO and founder of the Black Men’s Xchange (BMX) African-American hip-hop artist Frank Ocean recently shared in a post on his Tumblr page that he had fallen in love with a man before. At the speed of sound, all available media space has been consumed with ill-informed presumptions about Mr. Ocean’s identity [...]
For the last few weeks since President Obama became the first sitting president to endorse same-sex marriage, pundits have been obsessed with what this support will mean for this year’s election. Specifically, will Obama’s rock-solid support in the black community waiver?
Twenty-six years ago Run DMC stormed into the museum of rock and put their trademark Stetson fedoras on top of mannequin heads designed to look like The Beatles. The late actor Calvin DeForest tried to shoo them out by yelling, “You don’t belong here” but Darryl and Run refused to leave while white rockers played [...]
Whitney Houston’s Sacrificial Choice: Fame and Fortune, or the Mirror! – and the Bobby Brown Factor By Cleo Manago, CEO and founder of the Black Men’s Xchange (BMX) Washington, DC – The Whitney Houston story and finality is profoundly tragic, and may have been inevitable. The whole story may never be told. Given the often [...]
Washington, DC – I’ve received an overwhelming response to my recent piece about The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation’s (GLAAD) demand for CNN to fire Roland Martin due to what they perceived as homophobic tweets. Most people agreed with my position, but, for those who questioned my view that GLAAD is not in a [...]
Washington, DC – As a first-hand eyewitness to the rising of America’s Black HIV/AIDS industry, starting in the mid 1980s, this topic is very poignant to me. Almost 30 years ago, based on Black AIDS programs observed, I literally predicted that HIV would likely be in our communities for an unparalleled amount of time. I [...]
Fourteen month ago the magic and majesty known as Michael Jackson fled this earth in a chemically induced rest that was the climax to a longstanding downward spiral. The shock felt from his passing was an emotional blow that made the possibility of him ever returning to any kind of glory a definite no. However, [...]
I find it sad and fascinating that the age-old saying is still true in 2010, “The more things change the more they stay the same!” June 21, 2010 Eminem and The Roots released their new CDs. Eminem’s CD is called Recovery. The new Roots CD is called How I Got Over. Eminem’s CD is selling [...]