Link fi Link
visit other relevant informative sites
- Salsa Colorado Scene
- Colorado's African Scene
- Ajang
- Dancehall Reggae
- www.reggaeweb.com
- VP Records
- www.reggaetopten.com
- Basementalism (Underground Hip Hop)
- BBC Presents Brinsley Forde (from Aswad)
- Denver's Urban Nightlife & LifeStyle
- Atlanta Reggae.
- Chicago Reggae
- Miami Reggae
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email us with
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Island of Jamaica says "no" to gay boy scouts
Culture/Society News Keywords:
BOY SCOUTS
Source: The Jamaica Weekly Gleaner (N.A.)
Published: April 12, 2001 Author: Claude Mills
Posted on 04/18/2001 11:30:49 PDT by PCGuy
The Scout Association of Jamaica is sticking to the position of excluding
homosexuals from its membership, a position backed by Chief Scout,
Governor-General Sir Howard Cooke.
"Homosexuality is a thing we detest outright. We don't want any gays in the Scout Association of Jamaica (SAJ)," Delroy Davis, the SAJ's field commisioner for Jamaica said last week."When we interview people for scout leadership roles, we tell them we don't accept gays or homosexual behavior. We are vigorous in our background checks, and if we suspect any funny thing, we put a question mark right there," Mr Davis added."If there is even a gesture or a peculiar behavior pattern, we don't accept them. Total. Period."
Dr. Edward Lee, SAJ's chief and internationa; commisioner, added: "It's a no-no. We don't accept gays as Scouts."
Chief Scout, Governor-General Sir Howard Cooke has also backed the SAJ's position.
"Those persons (gays) are not the type of persons we wish to be part of the Scout movement," Sir Howard Cooke told the The Weekly Gleaner last Saturday.
The movement, which started in Jamaica in 1910, is a service organisation that helps to instill leadership qualities and discipline, as well as develop interactive and outdoor skills in young males. There are an estimated 26 million Scouts worldwide. The SAJ said it remains vigilant in its effors to prevent infiltration of the movement by what is called the "gay element".
Each time we have meetings we re-emphasise that we must be aware of this threat", Mr David said. "Something like that would surely kill our local Scouting association, given the homophobic nature of our society, and we are adamant about it. No gays!"
Last year, the Boy Scouts of America went all the way to the Supreme Court to defend its right to discriminate against homosexuals. The Supreme Court ruled that the Boy Scouts of America could bar homosexuals from being troop leaders. The justices, by a 5-4 vote, overturned a New Jersey Supreme Court ruling that the dismissal of a gay scout leader had been illegal under the states anti-discrimaination law. The Boy Scouts of America, which also excludes atheists and agnostics as leaders, said it has the right to decide who can join its ranks.
However the SAJ, which has more than 10,000 Scouts, has gone a step further, claiming that not even "openly gay" fathers who wish to participate in a father/son Scout activities will be accepted by the movement's leadership. "We welcome parents, but if they are gay, that's another matter". Mr. Davis said. We keep away from all gay relationships. It mash up the youh, the society, everybody. A (gay) father/son hike is out of the question. It may interfere with other boys. Sometimes, gays don't interfere with their immediate family. They might look to have an outside relation"
Homophobia in Reggae [...]
Gay rights activists seek arrest of reggae stars at Mobo awards
Three reggae stars nominated for a Mobo [Music of Black Origin] award may be arrested at the prize ceremony next week because the lyrics of their songs allegedly incite the murder of gays and lesbians.
The gay rights group OutRage had presented Scotland Yard's hate crime unit with a dossier of evidence against Beenie Man, Bounty Killer and Elephant Man, three of the biggest stars of the Jamaican dance hall scene, which is notorious for its homophobia.
The gay rights group OutRage is calling for their prosecution in the light of the crown prosecution service's crackdown on threatening behaviour towards homosexuals and an initiative by the Metropolitan police to encourage gay people to report abuse and harassment.
OutRage's leader, Peter Tatchell, who was beaten by angry reggae fans when he protested against two of the singers outside last year's Mobo party, said: "My request for a prosecution will test whether the police and prosecutors are sincere in their pledge to get tough with homophobic hate crimes."
Chris Wells, editor of the black music magazine Echoes, said OutRage might be shooting itself in the foot by picking a fight with singers whose work would normally pass mainstream audiences by.
"You are never going to stop this - no matter what you do - because Jamaica is a very religious society, and unfortunately, for all sorts of reasons, homophobia is deep there," he said. --The Guardian, September 19, 2003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UK: artists face new penalties for inciting homophobia
Posted on Wednesday, January 15 @ 12:03:38 CST by Admin
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rap and reggae artists who use their song lyrics to incite people
to kill and maim homosexuals face stiffer penalties under a new clampdown
on homophobic crime.
In a week where black music culture has been blamed for rising gun violence, the Government is now planning a crackdown on lyrics that encourage attacks on gays. The Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, wants judges to impose custodial sentences on offenders found guilty of stirring up hatred against the gay community.
Peers are now considering new laws that would make incitement to kill or maim homosexuals illegal, bringing homophobia in line with race crimes. The proposals will be debated this month when Lord Avebury's private member's bill is heard by the Attorney General. The measure is understood to have Government support.
In a letter to the Liberal peer, the Attorney General has said he will clamp down on lenient sentences handed out by judges in cases of homophobia. "If the occasion arises when I should refer a sentence for review involving homophobia then I will so refer," he states. He says that the writers of homophobic lyrics have been prosecuted under existing race hate laws, but only infrequently.
"It is an important step in raising the confidence of [the gay community] that the criminal justice system treats them fairly and equally, so that people will report crime and support prosecutions."
Gay rights campaigners are concerned about the increase in attacks and threats of violence against homosexuals, which they say has been fuelled by rap groups and Jamaican reggae artists releasing "homophobic anthems" urging people to burn, maim and kill gays. These include the group Tok whose reggae song Chi Chi Man human rights campaigners claim encourages the burning and killing of gay men.
Tok and two other artists using homophobic lyrics – Elephant Man and Capleton – were nominated last year for Music of Black Origin awards. Beenie Man, another Jamaican reggae singer, recorded the song Bad Man Chi Chi Man (Bad Man Queer Man), instructing listeners to kill gay disc jockeys.
Rappers such as P Diddy, DMX, 2Pac and Ice Cube have also been accused of homophobia. In his single "Criminal" in 2000, the white rapper Eminem sang: "Whether you're a fag or a lez, Or the homosex, hermaph or a trans-vest, Pants or dress – hate fags? The answer's yes."
A dossier of offending singers, lyrics and record companies is being sent to the Metropolitan police's hate crimes unit by OutRage!, the gay rights campaign group. It isdemanding that the police press charges under either the Public Order Act or the common law offence of incitement. Under the Race Relations Act, inciting racial hatred is a crime but there is no separate law prohibiting homophobic incitement.
Lord Avebury said radio stations should be more cautious about broadcasting homophobic songs. "I think a clampdown would make the broadcasters more cautious," he said. "People should be allowed to do anything they like but only as long as it does not cause harm to others."
Neil Fraser, a black record producer, said musicians had to take responsibility for influencing the young. "They see MTV and the average young person thinks 'yeah if I carry a gun and move some drugs then I'll be successful'," said Mr Fraser, who has worked with Massive Attack, UB40 and Sade. "Ignorance breeds ignorance – you've got people picking on queers when they have done nothing. I blame DJs."
Stonewall, the gay rights group, said it welcomed any clarity in the law which would defend a community's right not to be a target of hatred.
"The music industry has to start acting responsibly. What we are talking about in many of these songs is clear incitement to hatred and violence," said Sacha Deshmukh, Stonewall's director of parliamentary affairs.
Peter Tatchell, a spokesman for OutRage!, said this was the first attempt to secure a prosecution for inciting homophobic violence. "There is one law for blacks and another for gays," he said. "We agree these singers have a right to express their opinions, including the right to criticise homosexuality. But they do not have a right to urge the killing of lesbians and gay men."
Bush to Back Gay
Marriage Ban Amendment
By DEB RIECHMANN,
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - Jumping into a volatile election-year debate on same-sex weddings, President Bush on Tuesday backed a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage — a move he said was needed to stop judges from changing the definition of the "most enduring human institution."
"After more
than two centuries of American jurisprudence and millennia of human
experience, a few judges and local authorities are presuming to change
the most fundamental institution of civilization," the president
said in urging Congress to approve such an amendment. "Their
action has created confusion on an issue that requires clarity."
Marriage cannot be severed from its "cultural, religious and
natural" roots, Bush said in the White House's Roosevelt Room.
It was a statement that was sure to please his conservative backers.
Bush, who has cast himself as a "compassionate conservative,"
left the door open for civil unions as an alternative to same-sex
marriages.
He noted actions in Massachusetts where four judges on the highest
court have indicated they will order the issuance of marriage licenses
to applicants of the same gender in May of this year. In San Francisco,
city officials have issued thousands of marriage licenses, to people
of the same sex. This, Bush said, is contrary to state law. A county
in New Mexico also has issued same-sex marriage licenses, Bush said.
" Unless action is taken, we can expect more arbitrary court
decisions, more litigation, more defiance of the law by local officials
— all of which adds to uncertainty," Bush said.
The conservative wing of his party has been anxious for Bush to follow
up his rhetoric on the issue with action. In recent weeks, Bush has
repeatedly said he was "troubled" by the Massachusetts court
decision and the gay marriages in San Francisco, but stopped short
of endorsing a constitutional amendment.
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court recently ruled that it is
unconstitutional to bar gay couples from marriage. Gay and lesbian
couples from Europe and more than 20 states have flocked to San Francisco
City Hall since city officials decided to begin marrying same-sex
couples. As of Monday evening, more than 3,200 people already had
taken vows to be "spouses for life."
At least 38 states and the federal government have approved laws or
amendments barring the recognition of gay marriage; last week, the
Utah House gave final legislative approval to a measure outlawing
same-sex marriages and sent it to the governor, who has not taken
a position on the bill.
White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Bush believes that
legislation for such an amendment, submitted by Rep. Marilyn Musgrave,
R-Colo., meets his principles in protecting the "sanctity of
marriage" between men and women. But Bush did not specifically
embrace any particular piece of legislation in his announcement. White
House officials have said that support for Musgrave's proposed amendment
has been unraveling in the Senate.
The amendment that Musgrave and other lawmakers are backing in the
House says that marriage "shall consist only of the union of
a man and a woman.
Bush's comment that the states should be left free to define "legal
arrangements other than marriage" indicates the president does
not favor using a constitutional amendment to enact a federal ban
on civil union or domestic partnership laws.
The proposed amendment backed by Musgrave and others in Congress is
consistent with that, but some conservatives favor going further.
Recent polling suggests Bush is on solid political ground.
A nationwide CNN poll completed last week found that by a margin of
64-32, those surveyed said gay marriages should not be recognized
in law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages.
On a separate question, 48 percent of those surveyed said it should
be up to the federal government to pass laws regarding gay marriages,
while another 46 percent said the states should take that role.
Sen. John Kerry, Bush's likely Democratic opponent in this year's
election, says he opposes gay marriages. But he also opposes a federal
constitutional amendment to ban them, because he says it is an issue
for the states to decide, spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter said Tuesday.
Kerry says he prefers civil unions and rejects any federal or state legislation that could be used to eliminate equal protections for homosexuals or other forms of recognition like civil unions.
Wide-ranging reaction reflected the controversial nature of the issue.
A major gay Republican group, the Log Cabin Republicans (news - web sites), accused Bush of "pandering to the radical right" and "writing discrimination into the Constitution." Patrick Guerriero, executive director of the group, said, "The president has certainly jeopardized over 1 million gay and lesbian Americans self identified in exit polls who voted for him in the year 2000."
The Democratic National Committee (news - web sites) said the decision was purely political. "It is wrong to write discrimination into the U.S. Constitution and it is shameful to use attacks against gay and lesbian families as an election strategy," DNC Chairman Terence McAuliffe said.
The American Center for Law and Justice, which focuses on family and religious issues, applauded Bush's announcement, saying it "serves as a critical catalyst to energize and organize those who will work diligently to ensure that marriage remains an institution between on man and one woman."
Atlanta a hub for black gays
By DREW JUBERA,
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 02/21/04
In his mid-20s, Byron Mason was in San Francisco,
living the life of many gay men's dreams, an apartment near the Castro
district, a deejay gig at a funky nightclub, artsy friends and plenty
of potential boyfriends within easy eyeshot.
But one thing was often missing: other black gay men.
Nearly two years ago, Mason moved to the land of black gay men's dreams
Atlanta, where he can go to black gay bars, black gay house parties,
even black gay book clubs."Atlanta is definitely a mecca for
black gay men," said Mason, 31, an HIV prevention researcher
at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "You see so
many types of African-Americans here, so many professionals, including
so many who are gay."
Whether Atlanta is a mecca, a magnet or merely a newfound hometown,
it is viewed around the country as a fast-growing if imperfect center
for black gays and lesbians, in much the same way as it is considered
all those things for straight African-Americans.
Many black gays talk about visiting Atlanta and never leaving, staying after attending one of the historically black colleges, of finding themselves surrounded by so many others like themselves that they feel a comfort level not experienced anywhere else.
According to the 2000 census, Atlanta ranked third among cities with a population of more than 100,000 in the number of same-sex households, behind San Francisco and Seattle. It ranked second in the number of African-American same-sex households, behind only the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area.
"The perception is, in Atlanta, you can be who you are in a big city and you can still live in the South," said Donna Payne, who visits Atlanta often. She is a field organizer for a Washington-based organization that lobbies for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights.
"You can go out and be freer than you can in other communities," added the Memphis native, who noted that when one travels 20 miles outside other Southern cities, "you hit the Bible Belt mentality. But it's Atlanta. The feel and the vibe is it's a little bit freer."
Yet few black gays and lesbians view Atlanta as paradise. Almost no mainstream, predominantly black churches welcome them, and some are openly hostile. Some black gays find themselves disguising or denying their sexual orientation because of a lack of acceptance in the general black community. Some black men say they are on "the down low" ? often in relationships with women but having sex with men.
In a national Gallup Poll, only 40 percent of black respondents, 11 percentage points fewer than whites ? felt homosexuality should be considered an acceptable lifestyle.
When asked whether marriages between homosexuals should be recognized as legally valid, less than a third of black respondents thought they should, 5 percentage points fewer than among whites.
A recent Gallup Poll also found that a slightly higher percentage of Southerners favored a constitutional amendment limiting marriage to a man and a woman than did respondents in any other region.
'Triple jeopardy' Mississippi native Mary Anne Adams, 49, who moved to Atlanta in 1988, said it was important for the black gay community to distinguish itself from its white counterpart. Adams, for instance, said she faced "triple jeopardy: I'm black, a woman and lesbian. We have our own set of issues. This is not a monolithic community."
These swirling, often opposing forces in Atlanta ? a burgeoning black gay community amid a black straight community that is largely hard-shell conservative on gay issues ? are being felt by black representatives since the constitutional amendment banning gay marriage moved to the Georgia House after approval in the state Senate.
Blacks in the General Assembly will play a crucial role in deciding whether the proposed constitutional ban on gay marriage passes. But the subject is complex for them and encompasses issues ranging from religious and sexual beliefs to race and civil rights. It creates "cross pressures," said Frank Newport, editor in chief of the Gallup Poll, for black Democratic legislators, whose party is liberal on gay issues but much of whose constituency is not.
Sen. Ed Harbison (D-Columbus), chairman of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, said the group of African-American lawmakers had not taken an official position on Senate Resolution 595 or on the issue of same-sex marriage.
The caucus is not voting as a bloc, Harbison said, even though all 10 black senators voted no Monday. The House has 39 black members. "There is a feeling and mind-set that believes that marriage is defined as man and woman," Harbison said. "But the black community has always been uncomfortable oppressing other people."
Despite his vote against the proposed amendment to ban gay marriage, Harbison said he personally opposed such marriages.
Mainstream black churches a vital part of the African-American community at large ? have distanced themselves from Atlanta's black gays and lesbians. Black gays talk of funeral and memorial services where the deceased have been "heterosexualized" and where AIDS-related deaths have been glossed over as "cancer." They talk of pastors bashing gays from the pulpit.
"Why should we go in and get beat up, then try to fish out of that experience what is affirming?" said Craig Washington, 44, who moved to Atlanta from New York with a partner almost 12 years ago. The Rev. Timothy McDonald is pastor of First Iconium Baptist Church in East Atlanta, where he said at least two men and one woman were gay but not out to the 2,000-member congregation.
"The black church is still very conservative when it comes to the issue of homosexuality," he said. "The visibility is almost nil in the black church. At times there is still hostility. That makes it difficult for gays who happen to be black to relate to the church."
But at a recent Buckhead conference of 400 interdenominational black pastors from around the country, McDonald heard several talk openly about homosexuality.
"That was the first time I've seen that kind of open discussion among black pastors," he said. "I said, 'OK, we're getting there.' "Added the Rev. Kathi Martin, pastor of God, Self and Neighborhood Ministries in Atlanta, who has presided over about 15 same-sex marriages, "I do see a shift [in attitudes at black churches], but it's very slow."
Upbeat reactionsStill, for many black gays and lesbians, Atlanta remains a revelation.
Washington had what he called a "Midnight Train
to Georgia" moment," You now, 'I'd rather live in his world
than live without him in mine'," he said ? when he and his former
partner moved here from New York in 1992. The first place they walked
into together was a Waffle House, where" people said, 'Hey, how
you doing?' We were like, 'Wow, people are
really friendly here.' "
Atlanta, he said, is "the only city I would consider living in in the Southeast."
Trevor Pettiford had a similar experience before moving here from Orlando in 1998 to be a reporter with Fox 5 Atlanta. While attending Atlanta Pride, the annual gay celebration at Piedmont Park, he was amazed to see politicians and firefighters marching along with throngs of gay people, many of whom were black.
"It's so nice to see yourself in other people ," said Pettiford, 40." You get a sense that you can make it here because you see other African-Americans who have made it, straight or gay."
As Pettiford sees it, Atlanta's pull as a black gay mecca is largely a numbers game. With so many African-Americans and so many gays here, the city is an oasis for people who are both.
But the spring runs deeper, he said. Atlanta's reputation as the cradle of the civil rights movement provides a steady inspiration. Pettiford, who lives in Grant Park with his partner, frequently drives by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s tomb and birth home.
"This is a city that effected so much change around the country," he said. "You feel it's a city that still wants to effect change."
Added Mashaun Simon, 24, an Atlanta native attending
Georgia Perimeter College, "For me, it's all about being comfortable.
Here in Atlanta, there are a number of places I can go if I want to
be around what I call
'my people', other African-American homosexuals."
Kevin Bynes, like many black gays here, acknowledges the good and bad of Atlanta. But ultimately he sees the city as a better place for people like himself than almost anywhere else.
"I don't like to use the term 'mecca' because mecca is like a representation of this holy and perfect place," said Bynes, 28, who moved here from his hometown of Oakland, Calif., to attend Clark Atlanta University and who works for AID Atlanta. "There's still a lot of bigotry in Atlanta, even as much as we want to pride ourselves on being 'The City Too Busy to Hate.' "
But, he added, "Coming here for the first time as a black person in general and a gay black person, you see Atlanta being like no other city. There's a certain level of pride of blackness here, black people doing well professionally and financially, black people running things.
"Most of us end up coming here not because it's a black gay mecca, but because it's a black mecca in general."
Denver's Urban Nightlife & LifeStyle
Bob Marley's Place - Jamaica
hello,
i just wanted to send you a couple pics of the gates at the Bob Marley
compond and the 3rd pic is were he lays now.
Right now I am sitting in a room i have totally dedicated to Bob.
My friends and I went to Jamaica 2 years ago it was the best place
i have ever been.
peace,
robert
Angus Dougherty
<king_of_420_manna@yahoo.com> wrote:
RE:420!!! SNL!! God Bless you NBC!
My Words cannot Describe the Holy Spirit you Spread among the Nations!
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE!! REVELATION 2:7&2:17 YOU HELPED FUFIL!!The
7th Is INDEED A Blessed Number of GOD! May 2/7/2004 ALWAYS be REMEBERED!
As a
DAY OF FREEDOM & SALVATION for THE EARTH !!!! You Featured the
MAGIC MUSHROOM on someones head & a Massive PHATTY smokin,
MARIJUANA Endorsin- Public Service Announcement!! May you ALL be Blessed
above All
nations & PEOPLE! may the People Fall before you! You are Helping
Bring MILLIONS to
JESUS CHIRST THIS NIGHT!! GOD BLESS YOU !! AMEN!!! God Bless the HOLY
doers of the
WORD OF GOD!!! You Lovers of the SEED & HARVEST in JESUS CHRIST!!!
KINGS of the EARTH & IN HEAVEN WILL SERVE YOU & RECOGNIZE
YOUR MAGNIFICENT DEEDS!! www.emeryseeds.com
http://www.bluehoney.org/Manna.htm
www.420.com-Angus Dougherty Jr (lowest KING of the 420- REVELATION
4- REVELATION 2:7&2:17 YOU
HELPED FUFIL!!!) May God Bless You All !
May the words of the Fearsome Lord Fill your Soul more than any food
avalable: God
Bless you NBCEzekiel 4:15
Then he said unto me, Lo, I have given thee cow's dung for man's dung,
and thou
shalt prepare thy bread therewith. Exodus 16:14
And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the
wilderness there
lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.
Genesis 1:29
And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which
is upon the
face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of
a tree yielding
seed; to you it shall be for meat. Revelation 15:8
And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from
his power; and
no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of
the seven angels
were fulfilled.
Job 38:25-27
25 Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or
a way for the
lightning of thunder;
26 To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness,
wherein
there is no man;
27
To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of
the tender herb to
spring forth? Galatians 2:16
16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but
by the faith
of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might
be justified
by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the
works of the law
shall no flesh be justified.
Romans 3
28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without
the deeds of the
law.
KOMMUNITY ISSUES
USAID's Strategy in Africa
Africa’s challenges
are numerous and complex, but there is also much potential and opportunity
for growth and development throughout the continent. Investing in
people is perhaps the single most important factor in economic growth.
USAID will continue to support greater access to education and health
services to build a more educated and healthier workforce. Because
agriculture is the foundation of most African economies, increasing
the productivity of agriculture is critical to reducing poverty and
increasing food security. The growing HIV/AIDS pandemic threatens
to compromise the economic, social, and democratic gains made in Africa
in recent decades, and new funds and programs will work to stem this
serious threat to Africa’s future. Violent conflict and instability
will remain a serious risk for almost half of the countries in Africa
for the foreseeable future, yet there are promising signs that democracy
is spreading and taking hold across the continent. USAID will place
greater emphasis on conflict mitigation and management, and will continue
to support civil society organizations, encourage greater accountability
in government, and promote respect for the rule of law. Central to
USAID’s
assistance programs in Africa are four new initiatives to improve
education, increase agricultural productivity, promote trade with
Africa, and protect the Congo Basin Forest.
The Africa
Education Initiative will train new teachers and provide more
textbooks and scholarships for children throughout Africa.
The Initiative
to End Hunger in Africa focuses on programs to improve the use
of modern technology and increase agricultural productivity and income
for small-scale farmers.
Through the Trade
for Development and Enterprise (TRADE) initiative USAID will work
to improve the trade and investment environment and promote the fuller
integration of Africa into the global economy.
The Congo
Basin Forest Partnership supports efforts to conserve the outstanding
forest and wildlife resources of the Congo Basin Forest, the second
largest remaining tropical forest in the world.
Other important elements in USAID’s program include a new Anti-corruption
Initiative to combat this insidious threat to growth and development
in Africa, and a significant expansion of support for HIV/AIDS related
programs, including the Presidential Mother and Child HIV Prevention
Initiative to reduce the rate of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS
If
AIDS is not your problem .............then it may be your KIDS!!!!
AIDS .................& BLACK AMERICA
Black America is currently facing what is arguably one of the greatest threats to its existence since slavery - AIDS. Contrary to the public perception that the AIDS crisis is over, it is in fact only getting worse for people of color. For instance:
African Americans only make up 13% of the U.S. population, but comprise nearly 60% of those infected with HIV/AID,
African American women are 16 times more HIV infected than white women
Nearly 70% of the children infected with HIV/AIDS in this country are Black, and
HIV/AIDS infection rates among Black Americans are not only increasing, but are increasing at and increasing rate and show no signs of slowing.
In response to this escalating emergency, we have produced a three-part film series, AIDS & Black America.
Part I - House on Fire: Black America Responds to AIDS
House on Fire is a compelling illustration of the characteristics and causes of the AIDS epidemic in Black America, as well as a powerful testament to the positive ways in which the African-American community is responding. This 60-minute film features men, women and children who are infected and/or affected by HIV in their live, as well as prominent members of the community including poet Maya Angelou, civil rights leader, Julian Bond, NAACP president Kweisi Mfume, Congresswoman Maxine Waters and U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher.
Part II - Sister's Keeper: What Every Black Woman Should Know About AIDS
Sister's Keeper is a compassionate wake-up call for and about those in this country with the fastest growing rate of HIV-infection: African American women. This 30-minute film features Black women talking directly to other Black women about the very real threat AIDS poses to every sister, and focuses on how women can protect themselves, empower themselves and ultimately love themselves.
Part III - Coming Life: Stories of Hope, Healing and AIDS
Coming to Life is an inspiring portrait of five African Americans from diverse backgrounds who are currently living with AIDS, but who refuse to be defined by it. This 30-minutes film focuses on the dramatic journeys each of these individuals have taken through life, and how each of them have come to discover self-love, peace and joy in their lives - in spite of this life-threatening disease.
The films are directed by Emmy Award winning filmmaker, Mastapha Khan and are produced by Academy Award winner, Donna Dewey. They are sponsored by the NAACP and are underwritten by AT&T and DuPont Pharmaceuticals.
AIDS hitting
young black males in college Increase in HIV infection feared across
the South
The Associated Press
A sudden, surprising increase in HIV infections has been discovered
among male black college students in North Carolina, and officials
fear the same is probably happening across the South.
The upsurge is driven by young men having risky sexual encounters
with other men. Typically they do not consider themselves to be gay
or bisexual and may even have girlfriends, as well.
"It's a public health emergency. I don?t know any other way to
put it," said Dr. Peter Leone, HIV medical director at the state
Health Department.
The increase was first noticed in late 2002, and officials now believe
it began in mid-2001 and is still continuing.The high rate of HIV
infection among U.S. blacks has been one of the most striking difficulties
of AIDS prevention.
Unexpected high-risk group Blacks are 11 times more likely than white
Americans to get AIDS. Even though they make up 12 percent of the
population, they account for 39 percent of AIDS cases and 54 percent
of new HIV infections.
Among black men, like whites, the leading cause of infection is sex
with other men. Experts have long lamented the high rate of risky
sex among gay black men. Poverty is often listed as a strong contributor,
so the new findings among relatively well-off college students were
unexpected.
"Most Americans would not think about college students as a high-risk
group.", Dr. Ron Valdiserri Deputy HIV chief, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
"We are very concerned about it," said Dr. Ron Valdiserri,
deputy HIV chief at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Indeed, a CDC study on 10 campuses in the 1990s found a very low infection
rate.The North Carolina data were presented Tuesday in San Francisco
at the 11th Annual Retrovirus Conference.
Also at the conference, officials presented newly gathered data on
HIV infections in New York City. Overall, 1 percent of the city"s
population carries the virus, including 4 percent of men in their
40s.
Nationwide, an estimated 900,000 people have HIV. The CDC says that
in recent years infections have risen somewhat among gay men of all
races and fallen slightly among women.
Across the South, The North Carolina researchers found 84 newly infected
male college students over the past three years, 73 of them black.
Only one black student admitted using injected drugs, and just two
said they had sex only with women. The rest apparently were infected
through sex with men.
"The concern is this is our best and brightest within the minority
population who are coming down with a lifelong and potentially lethal
infection," Leone said.
Test yourself
-How much do you know about AIDS?
The researchers said they suspect a similar upsurge may be occurring
among black male college students across the South."We have no
reason to think this is limited to North Carolina," said the
CDC"s Dr. Lisa Fitzpatrick.
Leone said HIV appears to have been recently introduced among black
college students. People are much more likely than usual to pass on
the virus through sex during their first weeks of infection, and this
might explain why so many students have caught it.
When the students were questioned, three-quarters said they thought
they were not at high risk of HIV, despite frequent anal intercourse
without condoms with different male partners."Part of it is message
fatigue," Leone said. "They?ve grown up hearing this thing.
It's old stuff to them. They just ignore it."Another possible
factor may be an especially intense stigma against HIV and homosexuality
in the South, making the students less likely to discuss their sexual
identity or consider themselves gay."We have a very marginalized
group," he said. "They don?t identify with the messages
targeted to gay white men."
COMMUNITY KORNER
A
U.S. based non-profit ogranization Empowering Lives through
Culture
The CARIBBEAN
AFRICAN NETWORK (CAN) is a membership and
social services agency working to network the community through social
endeavours, promoting ciultural awareness creating business partnership
and opportunities with North American business to improve quality
of life for Caribbean and African Immigrants and descendants, fight
racism, and work in partnership with others who share similar values
and goals.
Established in 1999, CAN is a charitable organization committed to
identifying and responding to the needs of the Caribbean African &
African American community in North America.
CAN abides by a policy of non-discrimination and equity, and our services
are open to all. CAN has a wealth of social service programs.
Events and Concert Producer specialising in Reggae & World Music
COMMUNITY LEADERS - people making strides in the Community
LIFESTYLE
- HEALTH
Regional
Agriculture Supply
would like the people to know about the concept of ITAL livity (lifestyle).
Ital is taken to mean vital, pure, and wholesome. The following paragraph,
cited from “Itations of Jamaica and I Rastafari”,
by Millard Faristzaddi, sums up the concept.
“It is reasoned that the foods which we eat are the bearers
of natural energies which are converted into physical forces and used
by the material body in its’ daily functions. Many Rastafari
advocate the use of wholistic, non-processed foods of the Mother Earth
which they call “Ital”, from the words “natural’
and “vital”.
R.A.S. is working towards transcending the watered
down version of “organic” that is being put forward by
large corporations to cash in on a shift in people’s food buying
habits. Fighting against the tide of high land prices, the centralization
of agriculture, and a general lack of awareness about how food is
produced, RAS Farms stands firm in the face of Babylon.
The year 2004 sees R A S continuing I 'n I goal of
“putting the culture back in agriCULTURE.” Now,
more than ever, our food security is being assaulted from all sides.
The people are demanding healthful, clean food that is free from genetic
tinkering by those forces who wish to control InI’s basic neccessities.
In a bold new move, Ras Farms has expanded to both sides of the Rockies.
Products are now locally available in the La Plata and Boulder county
communities. Also, check for RAS at the Boulder,
Durango, and Telluride Farmer’s Markets.
For more information about Regional Agriculture Supply, product availability, or to link I n I, please check www.rasfarms.com or e.mail rasagriculture@yahoo.com
COMMUNITY SERVICES
LIFESTYLE - HEALTH, FASHION & TRAVEL
see article on right column on Aids & Black America
DJ's & Concert Hosts
Let The RASTA EXPERIENCE be a part of your next Reggae, Caribbean or African music or Community event, Our DJs are some of the World's Hottest and Best Reggae World Beat Djs and are more than capable to handle your events. Contact The everREDdi kaammp - at evereddikaammp@yahoo.com
Stero - Trench Town Fire Department
303.540.0870
rastaexperience@yahoo.com
Sire - slaughta yaa'wd commision
Aska - Askel International
Jah Fyah - Higher Ground Sound
dj's email us at rastaexperience @ radio1190.colorado.edu to get your FREE listing
Band - Musicians - Speakers & Other Performers
Djate
Jah Family
Band
bands email us at rastaexperience @ radio1190.colorado.edu to get your FREE listing
COLORADO CARIBBEAN / AFRICAN BUSINESS GUIDE
RESTAURANTS & CATERING
Ethiopian
Ras Kassas
