During these dire economic times when the overall unemployment rate in the U.S. is at 9.8 percent, you can be sure that that figure is at least double in the African-American community. And after the Democrats took what President Obama referred to as a "shellacking" on Election Day, they appear prepared to capitulate to the Republican demand that the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy be extended.

In his groundbreaking book, "The Rage of a Privileged Class," published in 1993, Newsweek Contributing Editor Ellis Cose eloquently illustrated how the American Dream has remained a dream deferred for many Black college grads, even those with advanced degrees.

DJ OG One held a book release on Friday, Nov. 5 at Champions Barbershop, 3827 NE MLK Jr. Blvd. The book, "The Man Behind the Music: Life and Times of David William (O.G. One) Jackson Jr." by Rochell D."Ro Deezy" Hart chronicles the Portland-based DJ who has rubbed shoulders with some of the music industry's greats.

All over the country nowadays, we're witnessing a frightening decline in civility ... Weighing-in on this disturbing trend is comedienne Whoopi Goldberg, herself no stranger to such controversy.

In 1818, Victor Cousin, as a visiting lecturer at the Sorbonne in Paris, coined the phrase "Art for art's sake," thus introducing the then novel notion that art ought to be appreciated on its own merits, meaning simply for its intrinsic beauty independent of serving any didactic function.

Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970) was a flamboyant rock icon who flamed out instead of fading away due to his also being a substance abuser who dabbled in everything from alcohol to marijuana to amphetamines to hashish to heroin to LSD before succumbing at the tender age of 27 to a combination of red wine and sleeping pills.
Ostensibly enough time has elapsed since his passing that Hendrix can now serve as a role model to children

If you've been holding your breath for the sequel to novelist Terry McMillan's literary blockbuster, "Waiting to Exhale," it's time to let go and release all that pent up oxygen. In her new book, "Getting to Happy," McMillan picks up the stories of Savannah, Gloria, Bernadine, and Robin 15 years after we last heard from them.

Faithful readers are well aware of how exasperated this critic has become about the recent flood of relationship advice books aimed at the African-American demographic. The latest contribution to the burgeoning genre is this how-to tome written from the female perspective by a couple of cutie pies who have a bone or two to pick with comedian Steve Harvey's best seller on the subject.

Given all that Condoleezza Rice went on to accomplish in life, it's hard to believe that she was born in Birmingham, Alabama in the Fifties during the repressive reign of Jim Crow segregation. But somehow, despite spending her formative years in a city where state-sanctioned discrimination served to frustrate the aspirations of most other African-Americans, she miraculously managed to overachieve with the help of doting parents blessed with the sense to recognize their gifted daughter's great potential and to nourish her dreams the best they could.

Bridges was a child star and loved being on a hit show, but his success was marred by the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father and by a trusted agent's exploitation of youthful innocence. After eight years, the show ended and Bridges turned to drugs to ease his pain. Bridges quickly turned from being a teen idol to a favorite hit for tabloid writers. Now, for the first time, Todd Bridges opens up about his turbulent life