Boxer Manny Pacquiao was recently denied access to a scheduled-interview at the Grove Shopping Mall for his remarks about same-sex marriage, prompted by recent comments made by President Obama. Pacquiao stated that “I am against gay marriage, but I am not condeming gays.”

Unlike Pacquiao, many stars have recently come out not only in support of Obama’s statements, but also for same-sex marriage. Most notably, rapper Jay-Z publicly stated this week that it’s an issue of “discrimination, plain and simple.”

Boxers, hip-hop stars and incumbent presidents: these are not the usual suspects in the conversation about same-sex equality. Have LGBT rights gone mainstream in America? What do you think?

Just last week, North Carolina voters passed a bill strictly defining marriage as between a man and woman. The day after, President Obama stated that he personally agreed with same-sex marriage.

Last year, my friend, Tom Bridegroom, suddenly died. He was gay and had been living with his partner for several years in California. They had promised to marry as soon as it was legal. Tom’s family never agreed with his homosexuality, and after his sudden death, they decided to cut all contact with his partner, Shane. After an entire year, Shane decided to speak through a YouTube video, about his experience with not only Tom’s family, but with the laws as they currently are.

For some insight on the state of the marriage equality fight, I spoke with LGBT advocate with Milwaukee’s Pathfinders, Julie Brock, about her reaction to the ban in North Carolina, the President and the video, “It could happen to you.”

“I was sad North Carolinians passed the ban, but not surprised,” Brock said. “Oppression is institutionalized in America.”

For my generation, I think it is still a shock to see laws created, passed, and designed to hold people back. While the President’s statements may have been unsettling to some, for others, it is seen as a progressive move.

“I think it is a dramatic change for Obama and the White House, but I felt it could have been done sooner,” Brock said. “What Obama really did, was place himself on the side of oppressed people. This election will be about social issues, because if we don’t argue about the social stuff, we can’t get to the economic issues.”

While, for some, the debate on same-sex marriage may seem meaningless, for others, it has real life implications. Shane picked a very important time to share his personal story and help humanize the social issue.

“I think the video was incredibly colorful,” Brock said. “It’s important for individuals to find their power by speaking about it. Some of the most bigoted people are shifted through personal relationships. If we really want to address the power problem, we need to reach them, and a video like this has the power to do that.”

Each of us can play a part in ending oppression and creating equality every day. Julie says if you want to get involved, “find a cause you are passionate about, and be open to the diversity within that organization. People come from all kinds of backgrounds.”

Pathfinders is a non-profit organization in Milwaukee, that works with LGBT youth that are disproportionately affected by homelessness.

Please share Shane’s story with the ones you love: http://www.youtube.com/embed/pR9gyloyOjM

Last week, Chicago hosted the Green Festival at Navy Pier. This two-day event featured some of America’s most progressive green thinkers such as Van Jones, Amy Goodman, and Naomi Davis – to name a few. The event featured 350 local and national businesses and organizations vetted by the Green Festival for either their organic, sustainability, or social justice practices.

Everything from food and body products, to compost toilets and consumer-ready solar panels was featured at the festival. Ford Motors even featured a new Focus made of organic materials such as corn husk, sweet potatoes, and wheat straw. My personal favorites were all the organic wine and beer but they were nothing compared to the Community Action Area where I met artist and musician Dan Bellini with Occupy Chicago.

Bellini is a Chicago artist who found himself promoting Occupy because of his Guy Faux masked cartoon drawings. Bellini was a long-time activist, who decided to occupy Facebook with his drawings, when the 99% protest began last spring. After making nearly 300 drawings, Dan decided to contact Occupy Chicago and get involved.

“Its therapeutic to march,” he said. ” It helps to get the anger out.”

Once Dan started marching and drawing, the next step was promoting the movement.

“The Green festival was just the next event, and it was really cool,” he said.

From Dan’s perspective, the most interesting aspect of the festival, were the people who attended. According to the Green Festival, the majority of attendees are females with higher degrees between the ages of 30-40.

“The people that I met were looking for ways they could get involved and get help out,” he said. “People are trying to be responsible, but its an uphill battle for them. And events like this allow them to come together. We may not be able to change everyone’s minds, but at least we can come together and do business.”

Check out more of Bellini’s work on Occupy.com and catch the next Green Festival in Washington D.C.

A recent CIRCLE study shows that 84 percent of 18-29 year olds that were registered to vote showed up on Election Day to cast a vote in the 2008 election.

So don’t wait til the last minute – register online TODAY.

Rev. Eugene Williams III was a dedicated community organizer and  religious leader in some of Los Angeles’ poorest neighborhoods. Always working to uplift the community, Rev. Williams used his gifts to help struggling churches raise money and resources that would ultimately go to the communities they served. He passed away on March 16, 2012 of lung cancer. He will be remembered on Saturday May 5th, 2012 at the University of Southern California at 1:00 p.m. Rev. Eugene Williams was a leader and asset to the community. He will be missed.

Doc Franchise has been making music for Chicago hip-hop artists for a few years now. Always an individual, this self-proclaimed “nerd” drops his new EP this month. His music is eclectic, classic, and futuristic all at the same time. Watch this exclusive interview with his message on education, style, and hip-hop after the jump.

Artist, poet, writer, musician, MC, rapper, and Chicago native, Malik Yusef is no stranger to success. This year, he won a Grammy with Kanye for the writing of “All of the Lights,” but this poet didn’t always have it so good.

Malik dropped out of high school because he had difficulty writing and speaking aloud in class.

“I used to crack a lot of jokes, distract the class, and get sent out all so I didn’t have to read out loud,” he said.

After dropping out of school, Malik decided to educate himself by spending a lot of time in the library. He started to write poetry about growing up on Chicago’s South Side as a coping mechanism.

“I had to learn ways to deal with people,” Malik said. “[young people should] figure out how to learn. They need to understand environmental literacy, and use context clues to inform themselves.”

Malik is now a successful writer and musician. In fact, he is currently recording with Kanye West and Jay-Z. He still makes time to engage in current events. As a Huffington Post weekly blogger, Malik has gained a significant readership. I asked him what he thought about the case of Trayvon Martin, and others like him.

“There have always been negative stereotypes,” he said. “Everyone makes generalizations, black and white people. Our current media, (like reality TV) contributes to it. We don’t have to love each other with perfection, but we can respect one another.”

In only a few short minutes, I felt enlightened. No wonder this man is making a career as a spoken word poet and writer. He is working on his new project Nat Black right now. He plans to release some live recordings this summer. He is also the spokesperson for this year’s Hip Hop Caucus, “Respect My Vote” Campaign, proving once again that the core of hip hop is in the history of politics.

Photograph curtesy of Good Music

“Rebirth of a Nation: The Black Image in the American Mind,” the latest in the #RapSessions series will be live YoungVoterLive.com on Tuesday from 7-10 ET.

From entertainment and politics to the media images that accompany them, the civil-rights era idea of “Blackness” is currently in flux. A panel of leading national experts will explore contemporary moments in popular cultural and politics where race, image and identity have taken center stage. This discussion seeks to help students look at hip-hop culture as a cross-racial phenomenon that has political and cultural roots in black and brown communities.

Tweet @TheLeague99 using the hashtag #RapSessions to join the conversation.

The panelists include:

• Moderator: Bakari Kitwana (@therealbakari)
• Mark Anthony Neal (@newblackman)
• Joan Morgan (@milfinainteasy)
• Elizabeth Mendez Berry (@mendezberry)
• John Jennings
• Biko Baker (@bikobaker)

Live Video app for Facebook by Ustream

Tuesday was an election day in Wisconsin and the crew at the Milwaukee League of Young Voters Education Fund were getting people out to vote all day. Starting at 8:30 a.m., volunteers started arriving. People were making calls, organizing maps, and breaking into teams to canvass the neighborhood by 9:00 a.m.

As I started volunteering to make phone calls reminding people to vote, I discovered that most people did not know that the Scott Walker Voter ID Law was suspended just in time for the primary. I also discovered that people didn’t know they could vote for presidential candidates from both parties in the primaries.

As I looked around the League office, I realized the room was full of young male and female volunteers. The room represented a contrast to the popular concept that young people are not engaging in politics. Not only were they personally engaging in politics, but they were organizing to engage and inform others. Like other primaries, voter turnout throughout the day was low, however, the Wisconsin primary was important because Wisconsin is a swing state.

Although Santorum “performed strongly across most of the state” he could hardly compete with Mitt Romney’s ad campaigns in southeastern Wisconsin. Romney won in the largest GOP districts of Milwaukee, Racine, Waukesha and Ozaukee counties; effectively putting an end to the Santroum campaign.

With the recall election only nine weeks away, Wisconsin is a political hot-bed of activity. The actions of Wisconsin voters could be a strong indication of the 2012 presidential outcome. All eyes will be focused on Wisconsin, and the youth in particular!

As the 2012 presidential election approaches, it is becoming painfully clear that the U.S. economy may be the topic helping voters decided which candidate to choose. Unemployment has remained relatively high across the nation, but some populations have been hit harder than others. The Obama administration has made progress in its attempts to stabilize unemployment, and job growth has been on a small but steady rise. But if stabilizing the economy is the greatest challenge for the 2012 election, then increased employment is the only solution.

While job growth has increased, the questions regarding who is gaining employment still remains. Today, the White House released a press release announcing the Summer Jobs Act to employ nearly 180,000 youth between the ages of 16-24 nationwide. The White House has been encouraging youth employment since 2009, and has worked with many private companies to ensure that young people received on-the-job training and paid internship positions. However, today they took an aggressive stance toward youth employment stating:

“America’s youth can’t wait for Congress to act.”

Obama is moving forward without Congress by proposing $1.5 billion to make sure that youth can be hired not only in the summer, but year-round.

This is an important step to ending high rates of unemployment not only for youth and disadvantaged communities, but also for the nation as a whole. With all of the political circus, we often forget that the high school and college students WILL  grow up to become the leaders of this nation. We must do everything possible to support their growth and development in every realm of society. The administration also points out that in 2011, taxpayers contributed more than $93 billion “in direct cost and lost tax revenue to support young adults disconnected from school and work.”

Many conservatives, such as Rick Santorum, repeatedly state that they want to discontinue social welfare programs, however, unemployed and uneducated youth will cost us far more in lost tax revenue than in entitlement programs alone. Translation: It will cost us far less, as a society, to educate and hire the multi-ethnic youth of America.

In the next 60 days, the administration will launch  Summer Jobs+ Bank, an online job search through its business, non-profit, and government partner organizations. They hope that these summer jobs will lead to a more informed workforce prepared for long-term employment in the private and public sector.

Check out the full press release here.

One of the dopest, most respected elders in hip-hop, Paradise Gray is featured on “The Angle,” a documentary focusing on subjects affecting American culture. In this installment, Paradise reflects on the foundation of hip-hop, in addition to introducing the concept of Muhammad Ali being the originator of the swag that Jay Z took ownership of. He does a damn good job of making his point. Paradise Gray’s perspective on hip-hop is very important.

It’s a pleasure and an honor to be affiliated with ‘Dise. He knows everything about the game and has possibly mentored your favorite rapper. He has so much knowledge and I, personally have absorbed a ton just being in the same room with him.

Paradise Gray: Hip-Hop (commentary) from Park Triangle Productions on Vimeo.

Almost three months into the Occupy movements and both white men and women have been pepper sprayed, arrested, and beaten by the police.  But what remains the pink elephant in the room is the question: where are the black people? Where are the people of color who have been disproportionately affected from public sector layoffs, increased taxes, failing schools and faulty mortgage practices? We all know the history of civil rights in America, but in case you didn’t know, African-Americans have played a major role in shaping the social justice movements of the past several decades. But where is that social power now?

Many will argue that the youngest generation of African-Americans have become listless, apathetic, lazy,  immoral, and this is why they have disconnected from the political and social issues that our world faces today. At one point, the African-American church served as a bridge between the community and social justice. However, churches rarely take on the task of challenging laws, economic practices, or developing social justice leaders in the inner city nowadays.

In cities like Milwaukee, non-profit agencies and NGOs specializing in training young leaders found themselves closing due to lack of funding, taking with them the knowledge and expertise to reach some of the most disadvantaged neighborhoods. I would say that it is not only the fault of the youth, but also of the elders who were not willing to prime new leaders to fill their positions.

With only a little guidance, young people have risen to the challenge and become leaders in their families and communities. They are in college, they are working for themselves, raising families, conducting research and producing work that questions and informs. Our generation has tried to think outside the social box that has not included us for many years. We have protested police brutality, politicians, the economic and social policies of banks that have affected our neighborhoods and people for many years. We have done more than protest. We have organized, and educated our neighborhoods through direct service and action. We have started gardens, schools, programs, health initiatives, legislation, and much more to address and improve our communities from within. We decided long ago that we had to move past protesting and into action – even if Jessie Jackson wasn’t involved.

Honestly, I don’t mind seeing that the majority of the 99% protestors are middle class, educated white men and women. For too long, that group has appeared silent, and oblivious to the struggles of black, Latino, and Asian Americans. I think unity is the only way that we will make a change and we need as many people as possible to speak out against inequality.  The 99% of Americans are extremely diverse, both economically, socially, and ethnically, and this may give us an opportunity to cross racial lines  and strengthen a movement that can benefit us all.

If you don’t have a clear understanding by now about the Ryan family and their mark in the NFL, please move from under the rocks. Buddy Ryan, a legend in his own right, was a take-no-junk, outspoken head coach for a tough nose Houston Oilers and Philadephia Eagles teams, who both led by their brutal defensive. His twin sons, Rex and Rob, are no different. Both having a guru-like rep as defensive leaders and play callers but also have reps for their wild yet comical personalities.  Rex’s latest stunt only supports that theory.

Avid New York Jets fan and comedic film guru, Adam Sandler, and New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan are teaming up to do a film in which Ryan will play a Boston-based lawyer who is – of all things – a New England Patriots fan. Yes, a Patriots fan.

Sandler wrote this role as an inexpensive lawyer who plays a huge Pats fan and loves Tom Brady and Pats head coach Bill Belichick. This will be a sure shocker for much of Jets Nation. The films title and release date are still up in the air.

“Four score and seven years ago, our fathers Mally Mel & Kool Herc brought forth a new genre.” Wait no – maybe that’s too far-fetched. “I have a dream that one day… I know it ain’t heaven-sent/ we ain’t ready to see a black president.” Maybe even that’s too harsh.

I’m looking at the world currently, both globally and nationally, and we are entering one of our most critical times in the history of our civilization. I’m wondering, who can save us from us? With one million and one questions about who will take over the throne in 2012 and what our country’s success will look like, who can weave out the truth? If you had a gut check now and BOOM the world as you know it changes, would you be ready?

I ask myself all of those questions and the one common factor I see is you. Yes, you, reading this story. You with your 9-5  job then 6-10 family time. You, who has never punched any clock but now owns the clocks which are being punched and of course, you. You, who left the inner city lifestyle to live in a more peaceful and quiet setting filled with singing birds, Sunday afternoon tailgating and desperate housewives. Somehow, 8 out of ten of us all fit into one of those lifestyles and the two that don’t – God Bless You. I ask you one more question. What do we all have in common?

HIP-HOP!

There was a time in hip-hop when lyrics weren’t just chess moves; they told stories. Words gave birth to movements, habits and a new culture. Racism, sexism and thug life were discussed and debated and lives were saved. You could listen to your favorite track and the entire load sitting on your shoulder suddenly would disappear. Those who didn’t make it to see graduation found ways to make a honest living and leave our generation the blueprint on how to change the game.

As the world turns and times change more than Nicki Minaj’s hair color, it’s time that we demand more and go back to what helped us in the first place. Hip-hop’s impact is no longer just an urban inner city culture, it’s worldwide. Forbes 500 companies, sports venues, even our political officers are using hip-hop to connect and market to our world. If they are smart enough to see the light, why can’t we do the same? When Sam Cooke said “A Change Gon Come,” he didn’t mean it would just fall from the sky, we must create change.

It’s time for us, as a people and culture, to mold the future. Music has always been an outlet for emotions, beliefs and informing others of our social status – both mentally and financially. It’s time we #OccupyHipHop. Let’s get away from downgrading our people and glorifying nonsense and reach those who need to be saved. The time is now. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for!

Many are unaware but there is a new Muppet moving to Sesame Street. I first got word of the new Muppet months ago, when plans were in the making to bring a new Muppet on board and it was creating a lot of negative press.

With our country facing one of its biggest poverty issues in years, Sesame street was aiming to create a “homeless” puppet to show youth a growing issue that is one of America’s biggest secrets. To avoid controversy, Sesame Street never introduced that Muppet. Now, they are prepared to introduce a character with a extremely sad tale to sing.

Set to represent the many U.S. children who are malnourished and go to bed hungry at night, the children’s show will introduce Lily during a prime-time one-hour special on October 9. The goal is to raise awareness about hunger faced by millions of families in America. Lily, a 7-year old Muppet with a pink-colored denim dress and headband, will talk to the cast of Sesame Street about growing up in a home where there isn’t much food and she will help Elmo and friends set up a food drive to help feed her family. (ABCNews)

Jeanette Betancourt, the senior VP for outreach and educational processes at Sesame Workshop, explained that Lily’s creation took months of research to gather all the facts needed for an educational show. Children ages 6 and under make up over 9.6 million Americans with limited food resources. Betancourt also added that the story will be told from Lily’s point of view. Lily has a habit of looking down when talking about her situation, mirroring youth who hesitate when talking about intense issues. The main point of the program is to bring awareness to how serious this hunger issue is.

This is a very real problem in our world and I’m glad that PBS is taking matters into their own hands on how to raise awareness. I’m very interested in how the show will help spread the word and how we can all find a way to decrease hunger in America.  The show will air at 7 p.m. on October 9. If you have a young child, this may be a great chance to watch this show as a family and discuss an issue that they may not personally face. but a classmate or neighbor might. I tip my hat to Sesame Street and PBS  and I will be tuned in.

PCMag.com is reporting an unconfirmed threat to “erase the New York Stock Exchange from the Internet,” posted by hackers claiming to belong to the secretive Anonymous hacktavist collective.

Other representatives from Anonymous – whose jaunty headless suit-wearing logo belies the traditional view of hackers as cave-dwelling, disheveled and unwashed nerds – dispute the claims. Regardless, as the #OccupyWallStreet protests continue to attract major media attention, it is inevitable that we’ll see virtual signs of rebellion to match the movement in the streets.

In fact, it’s possible that a collective of brilliant, security-loophole exploiting hackers could cause serious damage to some of the financial systems at the heart of this viral movement…and a good deal faster than the rest of us trying to turn the ponderous wheels of the bureaucratic machine.

Do you remember the scene in the matrix when Morphoeus gave Neo the red or blue pill and asked him to choose? Below you will find a letter that Troy Davis wrote shortly before he was executed. They are his final words, and a message to each and every one of us.

You have a choice: you can stop reading and pretend that Troy Davis never existed. That last night never happened. Or you can keep reading and never stop fighting for Justice.

“To All” – A message from Troy Anthony Davis

To All:

I want to thank all of you for your efforts and dedication to Human Rights and Human Kindness, in the past year I have experienced such emotion, joy, sadness and never ending faith. It is because of all of you that I am alive today, as I look at my sister Martina I am marveled by the love she has for me and of course I worry about her and her health, but as she tells me she is the eldest and she will not back down from this fight to save my life and prove to the world that I am innocent of this terrible crime.

As I look at my mail from across the globe, from places I have never ever dreamed I would know about and people speaking languages and expressing cultures and religions I could only hope to one day see first hand. I am humbled by the emotion that fills my heart with overwhelming, overflowing Joy. I can’t even explain the insurgence of emotion I feel when I try to express the strength I draw from you all, it compounds my faith and it shows me yet again that this is not a case about the death penalty, this is not a case about Troy Davis, this is a case about Justice and the Human Spirit to see Justice prevail.

I cannot answer all of your letters but I do read them all, I cannot see you all but I can imagine your faces, I cannot hear you speak but your letters take me to the far reaches of the world, I cannot touch you physically but I feel your warmth everyday I exist.

So Thank you and remember I am in a place where execution can only destroy your physical form but because of my faith in God, my family and all of you I have been spiritually free for some time and no matter what happens in the days, weeks to come, this Movement to end the death penalty, to seek true justice, to expose a system that fails to protect the innocent must be accelerated. There are so many more Troy Davis’. This fight to end the death penalty is not won or lost through me but through our strength to move forward and save every innocent person in captivity around the globe. We need to dismantle this Unjust system city by city, state by state and country by country.

I can’t wait to Stand with you, no matter if that is in physical or spiritual form, I will one day be announcing,

“I AM TROY DAVIS, and I AM FREE!”

Never Stop Fighting for Justice and We will Win!

AKA: Ace Ventura: Perv Detective

Ace Ventura is back and he seems very, very lonely. Publicity stunt? Hail Mary Pass for a lonely old man? My bet is #1, seems too Charlie Sheen to me. 35k views so far, watch it before it POPS!

Is this 9/11 memorial wine in bad taste?

A Long Island Winery, Lieb Family Cellars, has created a 9/11 themed memorial wine and says that 10 percent of the sales of their 9/11 Memorial Merlot and Chardonnay wines will go to the National September 11th Memorial and Museum.

The price of the wine has been set at $19.11 ,which I think is also another tasteless statement. The retailers will pocket around $6 from every bottle, while the Lieb Family Cellars says an estimated $1.15 to $1.91 per bottle is what will go to the September 11th Memorial and Museum.

“We lost a lot of friends on 9/11. The owners of the vineyard are Wall Street people. For us, it’s something we do to give back,” Gary Madden, the winery’s general manager said.

I’m sure that the winery feels this isn’t in bad taste, but to me, it is. If you really wanted to be charitable about it, all proceeds should go to the fund, not just a small 10 percent. (Full story at NYDailyNews)

What do you think of the 9/11 memorial wine  that costs $19.11 ? It is tasteless or an attempt to raise money for a good cause?

Rapper/actor Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson made a statement that he planned on feeding a billion people in Africa and now he is backing his words.

50 Cent has teamed up with Pure Growth Partners, a NYC-based company that conceives and markets consumer brands to launch a new line of energy shot drinks in which proceeds will benefit families in Africa.

The beverage dubbed Street King will be released in orange, mango and grape flavors with caffeine directly from coffee beans. The drinks will range between $2.49-$ 2.99 and for the health conscious has zero sugar,carbs and calories. With each purchase of the new product, a meal will be provided for a child in need.