Friday, June 29, 2012

David Boone, Cleveland Student, Goes From Homeless To Harvard (VIDEO)

david-boone-homeless-student-harvard_n_1566191.html

With graduation on the horizon, David Boone knows better things are coming his way.

In the fall, the 18-year-old will head to Massachusetts to attend Harvard University. But for Boone, life hasn't always been easy.

The Ohio native had a rough upbringing in Cleveland, but he didn't let his past determine his future.

Boone blogged about his admissions experience for The Huffington Post, in which he recounted parts of his personal life, including encounters with gangs and temporary homelessness.

At age 14, his home was destroyed by gang members who were upset the teen wouldn't join them. Boone and his siblings had to split up and take shelter wherever they could, because their mother couldn't afford a new house. On some nights, the teen had no choice but to sleep on park benches.

"All of these life lessons have shaped me into who I am, transforming my dreams and aspirations and allowing me to free myself from what was becoming an unproductive environment," Boone stated in his blog post.

Friends and mentors occasionally pitched in with food and a warm bed, but no matter what, Boone remained dedicated to his schoolwork.

Jeff McClellan, principal at Cleveland's MC2STEM High School, admired Boone and offered him a place to stay.

"Here's a kid who's doing everything in his power to get where he wants to go, and we had the available resources to provide a little additional support,"McClellan told ABC 5.

Boone was accepted to more than 20 colleges throughout the nation, including a handful of Ivy League universities such as Yale, Princeton and Cornell. But to Boone, Harvard was the best option.

And his mother couldn't be more proud.

"We've been through a lot as a family," Moneeke Davis told the Associated Press. "He's so focused, so driven and so humble."

Boone will attend the prestigious school on a full scholarship, but he has to get through graduation first.

"I promised myself I wouldn't cry. But I realize that that's what everyone does before they cry," he told FOX 8 in a video interview. "I'm pretty sure there's going to be a lot of emotion there."

Learn more about David Boone's experience by visiting his blog.

David Boone's blogs are part of a series titled 'Mission: Accepted,' which chronicle the lives of three students as they apply for college in their senior year.

Georgia Judge Tosses Murder Case, Says Suspect's Right to Speedy Trial Violated

Obtained by ABC News

By ALYSSA NEWCOMB

A judge threw out charges against an accused child murderer and molester, leaving prosecutors scrambling to determine their next move.
The Chatham County District Attorney's office is seeking input from the family of Ashleigh Moore. The 12-year-old was found strangled in 2003.
The district attorney's office will have 30 days to file an appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court to reinstate charges against Bobby Lavon Buckner, 36.
Chatham County Superior Court Judge Penny Haas Freesemann threw out murder and molestation charges against Buckner on Wednesday, saying his Sixth Amendment right to a speedy trial was violated.
The convicted child molester was indicted in the murder of Ashleigh Moore in 2007. The indictment came while he was in prison, more than four years after the 12-year-old's strangled body was found by a fisherman near the Savannah River.
Buckner's trial had been rescheduled 10 times. His latest trial date was June 11.
"The court simply cannot ignore that this considerable delay, which occurred late in an already significantly delayed case, was apparently altogether unnecessary," Freesemann said in her ruling.
In her ruling, Freesemann also addressed the misplacement of physical evidence, a defense allegation that it was not given proper access to evidence and delays caused by prosecution deliberations on whether to seek the death penalty.
The district attorney's office said in a statement that physical evidence is maintained by the law enforcement agencies investigating the case. Therefore, it was unable to address the whereabouts of the evidence.
"Nor can the current office address issues of delay in the period between 2003 and 2007, when the case was first indicted. Defense counsel, however, was afforded every opportunity and did physically review all materials relating to the case in possession of the district attorney's office on several occasions," the statement said.
Michael Schiavone, who represented Buckner until last year, heralded the dismissal of the charges and said he felt the prosecution had made continual, purposeful efforts to delay the case because of a lack of evidence.
"The case is totally circumstantial. I think the investigators believe he must have done it because he was on probation for molestation," Schiavone told ABCNews.com. "But there was no confession, no physical evidence linking him to the crime and no eyewitnesses."
Buckner, who was the live-in boyfriend of Ashleigh's mother, was taken into custody for a parole violation on April 19, 2003, one day after the girl's disappearance. The convicted sex offender had been banned from being in the presence of anyone under the age of 16 and was ultimately sent to prison for the offense.
New sexual abuse charges were filed in 2004. Buckner pleaded guilty and was given a 13-year prison sentence and was credited for time served. He is scheduled to be released in April 2016, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Schiavone said he believed the judge's ruling will be appealed, despite it being "factually and legally correct."
"It takes an awful lot of courage to make that kind of decision, because she is an elected judge," he said. "She is certainly going to feel a backlash of public opinion."
ABCNews.com was unable to reach Ashleigh Moore's parents for comment.

Tattoo Removal Booms in Slow Job Market

ABC News

Fredrik Skold/Getty Images

By Lawrence Dechant

With the job market recovering but still shaky, people with tattoos find it even harder to get hired, prompting them to reconsider their body art.
According to The Patient's Guide, a website comprised of 25 niche publications dedicated to skin care, laser tattoo removal has increased 32 percent over the past year, with many citing employment as a main reason for the treatment.

Dr. Jen Mundt of Delete Tattoo Removal in Phoenix said she sees about 20 to 22 people a day looking to remove their tattoos for prospective jobs.
"The trend I've noticed the most is usually college students who have finished their education, and it's a mistake they made a few years ago, and they're looking for a job," Mundt told ABC News. "And, people who have lost their jobs and are trying to get back into the workforce and gain an edge."
Mundt said her clients are primarily concerned with tattoos that are located on the wrist and neck.
"A lot of businesses have a policy that does not allow tattoos that are visible," she said. "Sometimes you can't have them at all."
One of Mundt's clients, Gregory Barkley, told ABC 15 that his former boss took issue with a neck tattoo he had.
"He didn't like that too much," Barkley said. "He didn't like me to be recognized or the company to be recognized that way."
SLIDESHOW: Tattoos of the Stars
Barkley says people used to refer to him as "the guy with the tattoo."
"It was basically an eyesore," he said. "It was not professional-looking at all."
He quickly got the tattoo removed and said it was a learning experience.
Mundt uses laser treatment to get rid of tattoos and said it takes on average about 10 appointments to completely remove a tattoo, with appointments taking place every six weeks. The process can take up to an hour each time.
She said the pain is almost unbearable without the use of a numbing agent, which is injected into the skin prior to the laser zapping the ink.
"The pain is like a really hot band snap with hot burning grease on the end of it," she said.
Prices vary based on size, but could reach up to $200 per session. Mundt said that although the price is high, especially for the unemployed, it should be viewed as an investment in one's future.
"It's like going back to school, yes you can go into debt, but removing your tattoo might help you get along further in your career," she said.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Black Women’s Transitions to Natural Hair

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/01/opinion/black-women-and-natural-hair.html?_r=1

Transition: The filmmaker Zina Saro-Wiwa presents an Op-Doc on black women’s decision to embrace their naturally kinky hair, rather than use chemical straighteners.

By ZINA SARO-WIWA

Published: May 31, 2012 423 Comments

FACEBOOK
TWITTER
GOOGLE+
EMAIL
SHARE
PRINT
REPRINTS

To watch the video, press the play button in the bottom-left corner of the image.

A forum for short, opinionated documentaries, produced with creative latitude by independent filmmakers and artists.

Connect With Us on Twitter

For Op-Ed, follow@nytopinion and to hear from the editorial page editor, Andrew Rosenthal, follow@andyrNYT.

Readers’ Comments

Readers shared their thoughts on this article.

Read All Comments (423) »

When I set out to make a documentary about black women who are “transitioning” — cutting off their chemically straightened hair and embracing their natural kinky afro texture — I had no intention of appearing in the film. I felt I was an objective observer and really just wanted to highlight a growing movement. (Of the 50 or so women I struck up conversations with randomly on the street, the vast majority had gone natural within the last three years. According to one industry study, sales of chemical straightening kits, which can be harmful, reportedly dropped by 17 percent between 2006 and 2011.) But including my own story forced me to examine how I felt about my hair with more honesty than ever before.

There are as many “natural hair journeys” as there are transitioning women. What I find remarkable about the movement is the way it is spreading through black women in America. Many are transitioning silently, without much fanfare. Some are inspired by friends and family members who have already made the switch. As Anu Prestonia, the owner of Khamit Kinks, a natural hair salon in Brooklyn, told me, “There’s been an evolutionary process that has turned into a revolution.” It is not an angry movement. Women aren’t saying their motivation is to combat Eurocentric ideals of beauty. Rather, this is a movement characterized by self-discovery and health.

But black hair and the black body generally have long been a site of political contest in American history and in the American imagination. Against this backdrop, the transition movement has a political dimension — whether transitioners themselves believe it or not. Demonstrating this level of self-acceptance represents a powerful evolution in black political expression. If racial politics has led to an internalization of self-loathing, then true transformation will come internally, too. It will not be a performative act. Saying it loud: “I’m black and I’m proud” is one thing. Believing it quietly is another. So the transition movement is much more profound and much more powerful — and I believe it offers lessons in self-acceptance for people of all hues and all genders.

Zina Saro-Wiwa is a documentary maker and video artist. Her work includes the documentary “This Is My Africa,” which was broadcast on HBO. She is British-Nigerian and lives in Brooklyn.

Emory acquires vast African American photo collection

http://news.emory.edu/stories/2012/05/upress_african_american_photo_collection/campus.html
By Maureen McGavin and Elaine Justice |

"Young boys with cotton bales," 1895.

"She passed," 1915.

Overseer and sharecroppers, Knoxville, 1910

"Basket weaver, Marietta, Georgia," 1895.

Mamie Smith & Her Jazz Hounds, New York, 1920.

Sheet music cover with Mamie Smith & Her Jazz Hounds, New York, 1920.

Musician Leadbelly with prison officials, Texas, 1915.

PLAY

1 of 7

These images are part of a collection of more than 10,000 photographs of African American life acquired by Emory University from photo collector Robert Langmuir of Philadelphia.

MARBL African American Collections

MARBL African American photographs collection

MARBL in the classroom

Journalists, Academics,Community, Humanities,Libraries, Diversity, Events And Exhibits, Liberal Arts,MARBL

A rare collection of more than 10,000 photographs depicting African American life from the late 19th and early 20th centuries has been acquired by Emory University's Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library (MARBL) from photo collector Robert Langmuir of Philadelphia.

The images range from the 1840s – the beginning of photography – to the 1970s, with most of the photos falling in the post-Civil War to pre-World War II era. They include nearly every format, from daguerreotypes to snapshots, and cover a wide range of subject matter. A number of the photos were taken by African American photographers, a topic in itself.

"This collection sparkles with intelligent insights into the lives and cultures of the African American experience over many decades," says Emory University Provost Earl Lewis, also a professor of history and African American studies. "Its breadth is incredible, its depth is considerable, and its sheer beauty is breathtaking."

"Scholars from many disciplines will find this collection to be a treasure trove for peering behind the veil and seeing the inner worlds of life in America," says Lewis. "I am proud that we can add this collection to our library."

Randall K. Burkett, curator of MARBL's African American Collections says the collection "complements virtually every other collection we have, whether it's in music, art, literature, dance, business, civil rights – any aspect of late 19th and 20th century American culture. This is going to be a signature collection for us, and I know it will attract other collections."

Civil Rights, Religious Leaders Included

The photos are of both ordinary people and well-known names of the times, such as newspaper editor and early civil rights activist William Monroe Trotter, black nationalist Marcus Garvey, sculptor Selma Burke, blues musicians Howlin' Wolf and Lightnin' Hopkins, Pearl Harbor hero Dorie Miller, and religious leaders Noble Drew Ali, Father Divine and Bishop Elmira Jeffries, among many others.

Kevin Young, MARBL curator of literary collections and of its Raymond Danowski Poetry Library, traveled with Burkett to Philadelphia to help pack the collection and calls it one of the most remarkable he's ever seen.

"The archive reveals the richness of African American daily life," says Young, "from pictures taken by house photographers at nightclubs, to cabinet cards and calling cards of black disc jockeys, to photographs of preachers, blues singers, saints and sinners. No doubt this collection will change the field of African American and American studies."

Young included several photos from Langmuir's collection in his recently published book"The Grey Album."

Collector Robert Langmuir

Growing up in Philadelphia in an African American neighborhood, Langmuir has been interested in black history for most of his life. A rare-book seller for 35 years, he's collected photos and family albums through antique book shows or ephemera fairs, auctions and networking.

Of the more than 10,000 photos in the collection, Langmuir says: "Not every photo is a stellar, poignant image. A lot of them are family archives, or from family albums, people doing things, just living their everyday lives. That's what I was interested in–looking at black culture through black people's eyes."

Threat Of Hunger Skyrockets Among Seniors Over Last Decade: Report

Huff/Post50

Http://i.huffpost.com/gen/593410/thumbs/sthreatofhungerlarge300.jpg

One in seven seniors in America -- some 8.3 million people -- faced the threat of hunger in 2010, a 78 percent spike since 2001, according to a study released today by Meals On Wheels, the nonprofit that delivers meals to the homebound.

The “Senior Hunger Report Card” found while the risk of hunger for the U.S. population as a whole has declined since the end of the recession in 2009, it rose for people age 60 and older, mainly among those earning less than $30,000 –- or one to two times the poverty level. (The federal poverty level in 2010, the period studied, was $10,830 for a single person and $14,570 for a couple.) James P. Ziliak of the University of Kentucky and Craig Gundersen of the University of Illinois authored the report.

“There is no question that we are failing our seniors, some of the nation’s most vulnerable citizens,” said Enid A. Borden, CEO of the Meals On Wheels Research Foundation, in a statement. “The numbers spell out our failure with clarity, and at the same time they call us to action. No one in this, the richest nation on Earth should face the threat of hunger, no one. And seniors, who have little power to change their circumstances, deserve our special attention.” (See Borden’s exclusive Huff/Post50 blog post on the report for more.)

At greatest risk were seniors living in the South and Southwest, minorities, people who were divorced or separated, the disabled, and seniors age 60 to 69 (versus those over age 75). In terms of geography, the threat of hunger for seniors increased in 44 states since 2007, the report found, rising two percentage points in the “Top Ten Hunger States” (see slideshow below). Hunger risk declined or remained the same in just six states: Mississippi, Minnesota, South Carolina, Indiana, Louisiana and Idaho.

Women make up 60 percent of the population facing a hunger risk; African-Americans and Hispanics are nearly twice as likely to confront a hunger threat -– although food insecurity for these groups has declined since 2008.

Hunger translates into economic challenges for the U.S. economy, note Ziliak and Gundersen in the paper: “… food insecurity is associated with a host of poor health outcomes for seniors such as reduced nutrient intakes and limitations in activities of daily living. This implies that the recent increase in senior hunger will likely lead to additional nutritional and health challenges for our nation.”

Hunger risk also affects extended family: : “…the prospects for being under the threat of hunger greatly exceed those households with no grandchild present,” the authors write. Some 31 percent of seniors living with a grandchild were food insecure -- although that’s down from 36 percent in 2009.

The report based its measurement of hunger risk on the Current Population Survey (CPS), which includes a series of up to 18 questions on food security over the previous 30 days and 12 months. This report focused on the one-year period.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

African-American women can lose weight, keep it off

http://www.bcm.edu

HOUSTON -- (May 30, 2012) -- Federal statistics indicate that four of five African-American women are overweight or obese, yet researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and Rice University have identified a large number of African American women who have lost clinically significant amounts of weight and kept it off for longer than a year.

Descriptive results of the large survey study are presented online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine and will be available in print later this year.

Little information

"We have very little evidence on successful long-term weight loss in African-Americans," said Dr. Ann Smith Barnes, assistant professor of medicine at BCM and lead author of the report.

"Interventions to address obesity and promote long-term weight maintenance in African-Americans have yielded modest results. Also existing weight control registries of successful weight-loss maintainers have included very few African-American participants."

Dr. Rachel T. Kimbro, associate professor of sociology at Rice University, served as a co-author on the report.

The researchers surveyed 1,110 African American women over the age of 18 on weight, weight loss, weight-loss maintenance and regain. All those in the study had an intended weight loss of 10 percent or more of their body weight and had not had weight-loss surgery.

Weight-loss maintainers, regainers

The women were divided into two main groups weight-loss maintainers and weight-loss regainers. Maintainers lost 10 percent or more of their weight and kept it off for at least a year. Regainers also lost at least a 10 percent of their body weight but gained some of it back.

Approximately 30 percent of the responders were maintainers who had lost an average of 23 percent of their body weight (approximately 50 pounds) and maintained the loss for an average of 5.1 years.

Successful losers achieved their goal by:

Limiting fat intake
Eating breakfast
Avoiding fast food restaurants
Engaging in moderate to high levels of physical activity
Using a scale to monitor their weight (at least monthly)

Barnes and Kimbro noted the majority of all survey respondents reported losing weight on their own versus formal weight loss programs. Additionally, maintainers reported health concerns as their trigger to lose weight.

Cultural influences

Maintainers were more likely to say that religious faith was important in losing and maintaining weight.

Hairstyle management has been identified in focus groups as having an important influence on physical activity in African-American women. African-American women wear a variety of hairstyles. Some are easy to manage daily and after exercise: Afro, natural, locks, braids, and wig. Relaxed hair is traditionally considered more time-consuming to manage and more negatively affected by sweating.

Although this study did not demonstrate a clear difference in reported physical activity levels among women with natural versus relaxed hair styling, the role of hair management on physical activity needs further exploration.

Additionally, the survey showed that some of the women intentionally gained back some of their weight because they felt they looked too skinny. "A healthy appearance can mean different things for individuals from differing cultural groups," said Barnes.

Limitations

Barnes acknowledged that although they had hoped to recruit a more diverse sociodemographic group, most women in the study were highly educated. It is difficult to extrapolate these conclusions to lower socioeconomic groups.

Next steps

The findings of this study give clinicians, researchers, and program planners more information about strategies to assist women similar to those surveyed in achieving meaningful weight loss. In addition, 73 percent of the survey respondents agreed to be a part of an African-American Weight Control Registry.

The ability to continue to gather data on individuals who have successfully lost and maintained weight will add significantly to the understanding of long-term weight loss in this high risk population.

Barnes was awarded a National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases career development award to conduct the study.

Data analysis was supported by the Health Economics Program at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University.

The 20 Best Jobs If You Don't Have A College Degree Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-20-best-jobs-if-you-dont-have-a-college-degree-2012-5?utm_source=0530&utm_medium=yahoo&utm_term=&utm_content=&utm_campaign=partner#ixzz1wNo39Iwn

http://www.businessinsider.com

In a tough economy where just about half of graduates are landing jobs in their fields, there's been a lot of debate lately about the value of a college degree.

Careecast.com put together a list of the top 20 jobs that don't require a college degree, ranked by average starting salary, income growth and employment growth.

Income growth refers to percentage of growth from starting earnings to the top level; and employment growth refers to the projected increase in number of jobs through 2020 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Here's the list:

1. DENTAL HYGENIST
Average Starting Salary: $45,000
Income Growth: 109%
Employment Growth: 37.70%

2. ONLINE SALES MANAGER
Average Starting Salary: $40,000
Income Growth: 255%
Employment Growth: 25.00%

3. WEB DEVELOPER
Average Starting Salary: $43,000
Income Growth: 179%
Employment Growth: 21.70%

4. MEDICAL SECRETARY
Average Starting Salary: $21,000
Income Growth: 114%
Employment Growth: 41.30%

5. PARALEGAL ASSISTANT
Average Starting Salary: $29,000
Income Growth: 159%
Employment Growth: 18.30%

6. STENOGRAPHER/COURT REPORTER
Average Starting Salary: $26,000
Income Growth: 250%
Employment Growth: 14.10%

7. HEATING/REFRIGERATION MECHANIC
Average Starting Salary: $26,000
Income Growth: 158%
Employment Growth: 33.70%

8. SURVEYOR
Average Starting Salary: $31,000
Income Growth: 190%
Employment Growth: 25.40%

9. EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
Average Starting Salary: $29,000
Income Growth: 131%
Employment Growth: 12.60%

10. INSURANCE AGENT
Average Starting Salary: $26,000
Income Growth: 342%
Employment Growth: 21.90 %

11. INDUSTRIAL MACHINE REPAIRER
Average Starting Salary: $30,000
Income Growth: 127%
Employment Growth: 21.60 %

12. COSMETOLOGIST
Average Starting Salary: $16,000
Income Growth: 163%
Employment Growth: 15.70%

13. HAIR STYLIST
Average Starting Salary: $16,000
Income Growth: 163%
Employment Growth: 15.70%

14. TAX EXAMINER/COLLECTOR
Average Starting Salary: $30,000
Income Growth: 207%
Employment Growth: 7.30%

15. SALES REPRESENTATIVE (WHOLESALE)
Average Starting Salary: $27,000
Income Growth: 304%
Employment Growth: 15.60%

16. CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY OPERATOR
Average Starting Salary: $26,000
Income Growth: 173%
Employment Growth: 23.50%

17. ELECTRICAL TECHNICIAN
Average Starting Salary: $34,000
Income Growth: 138%
Employment Growth: 1.90%

18. ARCHITECTURAL DRAFTER
Average Starting Salary: $30,000
Income Growth: 140%
Employment Growth: 3.20

19. TEACHER’S AIDE
Average Starting Salary: $17,000
Income Growth: 112%
Employment Growth: 14.80%

20. SEWAGE PLANT OPERATOR
Average Starting Salary: $25,000
Income Growth: 156%
Employment Growth: 11.60%

Who Knew? Snoop Dogg’s Mother is Ordained Evangelist

http://www.eurweb.com

*Beverly Broadus-Green has been a lot of things to a lot of people. A lifelong resident of Long Beach, California, she spent 42 years as a church choir director, she was the loving wife to Howard Green before he died in 2005 and before retirement she earned a living as a head chef. She said her specialty dish is cheese and macaroni (not the other way around), because that’s what her four sons and six grandchildren never seem to get enough of, especially her son Cordozar Calvin Broadus, better known as Snoop Dogg.

But after years of serving so many people, Broadus-Green said Easter Sunday 2005 she accepted the calling to serve the Lord. Now she’s an ordained Evangelist who travels the country doing her part to build the Kingdom of God. Broadus-Green’s first passion is helping battered women.

“I’m blessed with the discernment to pick up on abusive relationships,” said Broadus-Green, adding that helping women and young girls is a way for her to help others avoid some of the issues she endured in her own past relationships. Broadus-Green said her home was the ‘open house’ of the neighborhood when her children were younger. So, she’s spent a lot of time trying to keep her sons – and other young men – out of gangs and away from drugs. So what does she think of Snoop’s music videos depicting a blunt-smoking rapper who degrades and parties with scantily-clad women?

“I told him I was embarrassed by it, and he told me his lyrics were not about me or all women, but certain women, ‘and they know who they are,’ he told her.

That’s why her latest project, YouthBloc.com, has such great meaning for her. YouthBloc.com is a non-profit 501-c3 designed to teach youth how to start successful businesses, solve problems and apply for business loans. That means understanding the importance of having good credit and good communication skills. Broadus-Green said it’s not enough to tell youth just to say no to drugs and gangs, “they have to have something to say ‘yes’ to and focus on,” she said. Broadus-Green started YouthBloc.com with her business partner and confidant, Marvin Fredlaw. Fredlaw, who is a self-employed computer programmer, said YouthBloc.com is a much needed program in urban areas because public schools do little to nothing to teach students how to become entrepreneurs.

“In this economy learning to start your own business instead of depending on a job is important,” said Fredlaw. And because parents are a child’s first teacher, Broadus-Green and Fredlaw encourage parents to partner with their children to bring their entrepreneurial dreams to reality. For those youth who already have a viable business, YouthBloc.com will promote their service or product through its e-commerce website. Steven Brooks, Jr. is one such teen who already has created a thriving business. This budding chemist creates and sells signature body oils.

Although YouthBloc.com is in its infancy, the duo plans to take it across the country by partnering with well-known celebrities such as Broadus-Green’s son Snoop, rapper Wiz Khalifa (Snoop’s protégé’) and local politicians. When Broadus – Green is not on the road fulfilling speaking engagements as an Evangelist or doing community service work she plans to promote her second book entitled “Real Love II” which is scheduled for release in July. Both books chronicle her personal experiences about recognizing true love and grieving the loss of a loved one. Part one of “Real Love” was released in 2004.

Recently Broadus-Green joined the cast of “Women Pastors – Ladies In the Pulpit.” This new reality TV show will reveal the incredible challenges of women pastors who must balance the responsibilities of home, work and church amid the scrutiny of family members, church parishioners and outsiders. “Women Pastors – Ladies In the Pulpit” is expected to premier in the fall of 2012 or early 2013.

Evangelist Beverly Bradus-Green and story author Steffanie Rivers

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Wells Fargo, City Settle Discrimination Suit

By Bill Dries

Wells Fargo & Co. has agreed to settle a federal discrimination lawsuit the Memphis and Shelby County governments filed against the bank by setting a five-year mortgage lending goal of $425 million here, including $125 million in home purchase lending to low- and moderate-income borrowers.

The city and county governments filed suit in Memphis Federal Court in December 2009 against Wells Fargo Bank, Wells Fargo Financial Tennessee Inc. and Wells Fargo Financial Tennessee 1 LLC, alleging the company discriminated against its African-American mortgage holders with refinancing that put the homes of those mortgage holders at risk.

Former Wells Fargo workers from Memphis were among those alleging the company specifically targeted black customers for the refinancing.

The $425 million goal is part of a multi-part settlement announced Tuesday, May 29, that includes the dismissal of the lawsuit with Wells Fargo admitting no wrongdoing.

A Wells Fargo spokesman described the agreement as a “dismissal,” making a distinction between that and a settlement.

Other parts of the settlement include $4.5 million in mortgage down payment and home renovation assistance grants. The grants are to be awarded for up to $15,000 each under guidelines of a Wells Fargo home ownership program.

The program is similar to the NeighborhoodLIFT program Wells Fargo has collaborated with the nonprofit NeighborWorks America program on in nine other U.S. cities.

Also included in terms of the settlement is another $3 million for local grants with the spending controlled by the city and county.