I’d been meaning to do the post about the Tuskegee experiment for a while, but I had no idea this topic was being discussed on the Houston Chronicle website. On May 9th, syndicated columnist Jonah Goldberg wrote a viewpoints column titled “Let’s start with the truth about Tuskegee studies” which attempts to shed some light on what “really” happened at Tuskegee, the government and black paranoia and why we continue to vote for a party that wants a bigger governement.

While I like to explore both sides of an issue, I think the real issue is being overlooked and Rev. Wright is the distraction to get people’s focus away from the current problems Americans face. It’s a good way to build readership, get people to your website or watch your television show. And I can’t blame them at all. People need to eat and businesses need to make money in order to survive. It’s called capitalism.

I don’t know the assumed intentions of experiment, nor do I know if those involved were racist. What I do know is that the men involved were lied to and thought they were getting help from a government agency. It was only until “the truth” surfaced that something was done about it. The lie in my opinion is the reason behind the paranoia. The whole AIDS in the black community is nothing new and Jeremiah Wright is not saying anything that hasn’t been said before. It’s just he was associated with a potential presidential candidate, which made him a target.

A lot of people have been upset about the comments Rev. Jeremiah Wright has made in his sermons, one of the biggest being the one about the United States spreading AIDS in the black community. While I don’t personally feel this is true, I cannot blame him or anyone else in his generation for having those feelings. Wright, born in 1941, lived during a time when rights weren’t always equal and segregation was a normal part of life. He was well-educated and after two years of serving in the United States Marine Corps, joined the United States Navy and entered the Corpsman School at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center. As a preacher, he seems to have had a monumental effect in the black community where his Chicago church is located. So it’s interesting to me how a 10 second clip can overshadow the accomplishments of the past.

While the numbers of those infected with HIV/AIDS are high in the black community, I honestly don’t feel the government had anything to do with it. At the same time, I can see why Wright and so many others feel this statement is true. Over 70 years ago, an experimental study took place that I feel may have caused some of the distrust between our government and the black community.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website:

In 1932, the Public Health Service, working with the Tuskegee Institute, began a study to record the natural history of syphilis in hopes of justifying treatment programs for blacks. It was called the “Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male.”

The study initially involved 600 black men – 399 with syphilis, 201 who did not have the disease. The study was conducted without the benefit of patients’ informed consent. Researchers told the men they were being treated for “bad blood,” a local term used to describe several ailments, including syphilis, anemia, and fatigue. In truth, they did not receive the proper treatment needed to cure their illness. In exchange for taking part in the study, the men received free medical exams, free meals, and burial insurance. Although originally projected to last 6 months, the study actually went on for 40 years.

While many laws have been implemented to prevent another Tuskegee Experiment, the distrust still remains. If you’re thinking “ya’ll need to get over it”, let’s do the math. 2008 minus 1972 (the year the study was ended) equals 36 years. These men participated in this study and were mislead by the very people we look to for help when we’re sick. Time heals all wounds, but this is one instance where the time has not been long enough. I’m all for getting medical attention when needed and hope the black patient/doctor/government relationship improves. When the trust is broken, it takes time and effort from all sides to repair it.

There was one time when a black doctor came to our men’s Bible study class asking for volunteers to participant in a study for diabetes. He explained to us the importance of getting involved in these types of medical studies and urged us to spread the word. He told us when African-Americans don’t participate, the medicines created aren’t well-tested for our people. The doctors then have a harder time choosing the best medication for us and we end up having to try out more combinations than everyone else. But in the end, I doubt the good doctor had anyone participate in his study (including me).

Is Wright right for spreading the AIDS belief in his sermon? I think it’s up to his church and the members to make up their own minds on how they feel about it. Wright is free to believe and express what he feels is true, but all he did is say what many people are saying behind closed doors. For more information on the experiment, check out the sites below:

Remembering Tuskegee

Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male

The Tuskegee Timeline

Inside the National Archives

This is one question that has always baffled me because I’ve heard so many different opinions on the best type of life insurance to purchase. I’ve seen in more than one instance what happens when you don’t have enough and it’s not a pretty picture. Funeral arrangements aren’t cheap and it’s a tough situation when the burden falls on a loved one left behind. Not only do they have to deal with the loss, they also have to find a way to get you buried.

I think a lot of people tend to overlook life insurance because they feel it’s either not important or too expensive. The reality is that it’s something we shouldn’t live without. A quality $250,000 20-year term policy for a healthy non-smoker can cost under $300 a year (a little under $6 week). If you have some health issues the price goes up, but that’s all the more reason to buy it.

I personally have a mix of term and universal variable life insurance. I’ve heard all the arguments for and against this, but for right now this is our current strategy. If I die, it’ll be enough to cover my arrangements, pay for the house and start my kid’s college fund. With my next son on the way, it’s something that I’ll have to revisit when he gets here (only 2 more weeks). Having these policies adds a little more comfort in knowing that they’ll be fine if I’m no longer here.

It’s a grim topic to discuss, but death is inevitable. So why not be prepared? Read “What Kind of Life Insurance Should I Buy?” along with the comments when you get a chance. There’s some good information there that will start you on the path to finding the best type of policy for you.

* Finally, so I won’t get sued. I am not offering financial advice. Find a professional in the industry to help answer your questions. This website and the Internet should only be used as informational sources to help you build the right questions to ask a pro. Do your research.

Just this past week a teen in Sugarland, TX decided to sue Texas-Austin because she was not accepted for admission into the University. Problem is she is suing based on racial discrimination…oh, yeah she also happens to be Caucasian.

If this case sounds like deja vu then that’s because it has happened before. In 1996, Cheryl Hopwood was the first person to win a lawsuit against an institution of higher learning based on race since Cal v. Bakke in 1978. The resulting aftermath of that lawsuit meant that race-based admissions and scholarships were no longer allowed in Texas. I remember that lawsuit well because one of my scholarships was race-based along with several friends of mine. I remember the Hopwood case spurring the exodus of minority students from Texas to Oklahoma (see OU’s football record from 1997-present). Later Grutter v. Bollinger reversed the Hopwood Decision.

I’m actually not 100% for race-based exceptions. I think in some instances they are used with too much liberty and without boundaries or criteria like the ones sometimes used in corporations. Policies such as these have hearts the right place but they are not managed or policed properly. The core difference with race-based admissions in colleges and universities versus the corporate sector lies with the schools themselves. A corporation’s ability to recruit and secure a diverse talent pool is only as good as the organization itself. Many corporations fall well short of the mark and most have only recently begin to realize that only the healthiest, most successful corporations have a racially diverse structure from the top down. For a university it has to be a core competency. Universities need a diverse student body to further their research initiatives as well as to attract more prospective students. Public universities need to maintain a diverse student body, but those students also must be able to maintain the rigors of college life. It’s a very thin tightrope for universities; diversity, challenging curricula, financial well-being, and maintaining a respectable dropout rate.
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There’s a new project being started by Roxanne Evans and Michael Hurd called the Texas Black History Preservation Project, where they will cover almost 500 years of the black experience in Texas. Being a native Texan, I’m happy to see something like this and I’m sure many will benefit from their efforts. There’s a lot more to Texas than people realize and they have a big undertaking in collecting all of the history for their book.

They’ve posted a 30-minute audio interview for you to learn more about the project and they are seeking any information you may have regarding your family and their roots in Texas Black History. Here’s more information from their website describing the project:

That’s what the Texas Black History Preservation Project intends to ask thousands of African Americans with Texas roots over the next few years as we put together the most comprehensive documentation ever undertaken for the Black experience in Texas. We’re talking about almost 500 years of history, dating from 1528 when a Moor servant, Estevanico, waded ashore at what would become Galveston Island with a group of Spanish explorers.

Our series – in book and DVD form – will provide in-depth interpretive essays and profiles for the series, but we also want to include undocumented family histories and other stories relating to Black history in Texas that have yet to be told. We will aggressively seek out and collect those stories and hope you will help us.

Black Texans have made significant contributions in shaping this state and it is our intent to make as many of the stories created along the way more accessible through this series of books. We’ll talk about lawmakers and public officials, preachers/the Black church, educators, Black colleges and universities, fraternities/sororities, athletes and coaches, entertainers, media (Black newspapers, journalists, radio stations, etc.), and much, much more.

Through the course of this project, we fully expect you will find your families, your friends, your neighbors … you’ll find yourself.

Over the next few years, we hope you’ll get in the habit of checking in with us here to chart our progress and help us uncover the rich history of African Americans in Texas.

So, what’s your story?

Just a quick reminder that the CNN documentary, “Black In America Eyewitness to Murder: The King Assasination” is on tonight at 9 p.m. ET. Tomorrow is the anniversary of the day Dr. Marin Luther King, Jr was assasinated at a Memphis, Tennessee motel. In this first installment of CNN’s Black in America series, Soledad O’Brien investigates how James Earl Ray, an armed robber and escaped convict, had already spent an uncommon year on the run just a month before his path collided with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In viewing the CNN website, they seem to have a lot of interesting information on what happened the day he died. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Harvard University has recently revamped it’s financial aid program to ensure families with incomes below $60,000 are not asked to contribute to the cost of sending their children to Harvard. I blogged last year about Texas Tech having a similar program and wanted to spread the word about this program.

Now don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of great colleges out there and I do believe HBCU’s also offer a quality education. I just feel this is another opportunity for a struggling student to get a degree without having to go into debt. College can be expensive and it doesn’t always guarantee you a job after you graduate. But a quality education can benefit you in ways you’d never imagine.

At any rate, if you or someone you know falls within the income range and has the scores to get accepted, please pass this on. My momma always told me, the worst they can do is say ‘no’.

Harvard announces sweeping middle-income initiative

Just a quick reminder to check your credit report before the end of the year. I know it’s last minute, but if you haven’t done so, get to it. Every year the government gives you a free credit report check so you can make sure there are no fraudulent inquiries on your record.

I do it every year for my family because identity theft can make your life miserable. When you run the check, you can get your report from the top three credit agencies: Equifax, TransUnion and Experian. While the credit report is free, you do not get access to your Fico score. To check your fico score, it costs $7.95, which in my opinion is well worth the cost. If you do see something on your report that doesn’t belong, you can report it to the credit agencies and follow the process to get it removed.

You can get your 30-day free credit report by visiting annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228.

I grew up listening to Bill Cosby. My dad had almost every album he put out and I remember sitting around the record player with my younger brother laughing at his comedy routine. I grew up on Fat Albert & the Cosby Kids, the stories of him and his brother Russell and Buck, Buck. As a teen I watched Cosby Show and a Different World. And even as an adult, I watch Little Bill with my son. So I can honestly say, I had high expectations for the book Come On People and knew there would be a lesson for everyone who read it.

I have to admit, while reading it I received a lot of mixed messages. You can tell they were trying to get their point across without offending too many people. It was definitely a toned down version of Cosby’s usual rants about the black community and I feel a lot of what they wrote was common sense. But along with the criticism, they gave a lot of advice on things we can do to improve our lives and lives of those around us. The book included topics on parenting, health, finances, community involvement and personal responsibility.

The first chapter covers the topic of the black male (or lack thereof) and offers advice on some of the things we can do as men to benefit our families and the community. I thought this was a great way to start the book because I think the role and concept of a real black man has been skewed. They ask the question, “What’s going on with black men?” and encourage men to build on the legacy of the those in the past. They ask men to re-dedicate themselves to the family and rebuild relationships that may have gone bad in an effort to be with their kids.

I was also glad to see some advice in the book for ex-offenders. Those who are looking to change have a hard time after they are release and there is a word for them in various chapters of the book. No one in the book was free from criticism, but everyone received some advice. Black men, woman and kids can get something out of the book, but you really have to take it as constructive criticism. There’s a lot in this book to take in, so I thought I’d list the topic of each chapter. Each chapter has different subtopics that touch on different things we face as a people.

Chapter 1: What’s Going On with Black Men?
Chapter 2: It Takes a Community
Chapter 3: We All Start Out as Children
Chapter 4: Teach Your Children Well
Chapter 5: The Media You Deserve
Chapter 6: Healthy Hearts and Minds
Chapter 7: The High Price of Violence
Chapter 8: From Poverty to Prosperity

My overall opinion is that Come On People gives the same general message as every other book I’ve read regarding the black community. It’s going to be up to us to make a change in what happens in our community. Dr. Cosby tends to get a lot of flack for what he says. But sometimes we need to hear the tough words. I’m sure this book will catch a lot of criticism, but if he didn’t care about our community, I’m sure he could just sit on his mounds of money relaxing on the beach. Many may not agree with their methods in how the message is presented, but Drs. Cosby and Poussaint have gotten people to talk about the issues. While this book may not apply to the majority of people who read it, I hope it does move us to get out there and make a difference where we can. It’s going to be up to us to take what’s said here and us it to help empower others.

I’ve provided some links below, if you would like to read a few chapters from the book. If you’ve read it, then I’d like to know how you feel. If not, then it’s a book worthy of adding to your collection. I’ll be giving some additional comments of Come On People on the next podcast.

http://treasures.billcosby.com/pdf/ComeonPeople-pg77-88.pdf
http://treasures.billcosby.com/pdf/ComeonPeople-pg124-132.pdf
http://treasures.billcosby.com/pdf/ComeonPeople-pg168-174.pdf

In keeping with full disclosure, I did want to let everyone know the reason for this review was because I received a copy from Team Cosby. The only requirements were that I read and post an open and honest review in a month’s time. You can rest assured that I did just as they asked.

Today is World AIDS Day, which reminds us of the impact of HIV/AIDS on the world’s health. In preparing this post I wanted to gather as much information as I could because AIDS is a serious epidemic in the black and international community. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

Of all racial and ethnic groups in the United States, HIV and AIDS have hit African Americans the hardest. The reasons are not directly related to race or ethnicity, but rather to some of the barriers faced by many African Americans. These barriers can include poverty (being poor), sexually transmitted diseases, and stigma (negative attitudes, beliefs, and actions directed at people living with HIV/AIDS or directed at people who do things that might put them at risk for HIV).

When we look at HIV/AIDS by race and ethnicity, we see that African Americans have

• More illness. Even though blacks (including African Americans) account for about 13% of the US population, they account for about half (49%) of the people who get HIV and AIDS.
• Shorter survival times. Blacks with AIDS often don’t live as long as people of other races and ethnic groups with AIDS. This is due to the barriers mentioned above.
• More deaths. For African Americans and other blacks, HIV/AIDS is a leading cause of death.

As alarming as these statistics may be, early detection through testing is the best way to control this disease that kills millions of people around the world. I’ve heard people say, “If I have it, I don’t want to know”. To them, I urge to change their mindset. Don’t be selfish. Take the test and take control. Be responsible because you’re not just putting your life on the line. You’re also affecting the lives of everyone who you’ve had unprotected sex with. The sooner you get tested, the sooner you can get help.

If you don’t know where to go for testing, you can use you cell phone to text message your zip code to 566948 or visit www.hivtest.org.

You have the power to control this. The ball is in your court. All you have to do is shoot. Please take the time to review the links I’ve provided. It’s some important information and you might learn something that will save your or someone else’s life. Let’s spread the word and take control.

The Basics on HIV Infection and AIDS

How to keep from getting AIDS

Rapid HIV Testing Podcast (1 minute)

Rapid HIV Testing Transcript

HIV Transmission: Questions and Answers

African Americans & AIDS

HIV/AIDS among African Americans - Fact Sheet

2007 AIDS Epidemic Update

Fact Sheet - Key Facts by Region

Black AIDS Institute