TheGrio.com

http://www.thegrio.com/2009/09/post-11.php

Tyler Perry hopes he can do good ... very good at the box office with his newest release "I Can Do Bad All By Myself," starring Academy Award Nominated Taraji P. Hensen, Adam Rodriguez, multiple Grammy Award winning singers Mary J. Blige and Gladys Knight, and of course, Tyler Perry. "I want people to leave the theaters with hope, going, 'OK. I can make it, I'm going to be alright, I just saw a great film that uplifted me, I got hope, I can make it through the next day,'" Perry said in an interview this week. Perry utilizes a familiar formula ... pistol-packing grandma, "Madea" unexpectedly has to help someone in need. This time it's three children who after losing their mother to drugs and now their grandmother, have nowhere to turn. When "Madea" and brother "Joe" discover the kids breaking into their home, "Madea" in her usual no-nonsense style gets to the bottom of things. "This movie was right after you know Madea Goes To Jail so I wanted to give her some breathing room and so she's not in it as much but when she show up you hurt yourself laughing," Perry said. The only problem? The children's aunt wants nothing to do with them ... she's got problems of her own. Crippled by her own pain, Taraji plays "April," a nightclub singer who's trapped in a loveless relationship and remains haunted by her own past. "I love multidimensional characters and Tyler writes the best of 'em," Henson said. "He's written some of the most incredible female characters. And it's just not happening, especially for ethnic actresses. It's just not there. The roles just aren't there. THANK GOD for Tyler... shoot." With his usual theme of redemption, Perry who also produced, directed and wrote "I Can Do Bad All By Myself," includes "Sandino," a handyman played by Adam Rodriguez. Rodriguez delivers a touching, intimate reminder that love is for everyone, even when we don't know how to love." "There's a bunch of things I loved about the character," Rodriguez said. "I mean I love the fact that he did have this dark past, you know, that that had him on this quest for redemption." Mary J. Blige delivers a fearless performance as friend and nightclub owner "Tanya," plus sings an original song she helped write and produce for the film. " he actual song I can do battle by myself was written for Tania but to April," Blige said. "You know, it was Tania saying it to April like "gosh, like when will you give someone a shot when will stop being so selfish." Never one to back away from expressing his need to 'bridge the gap,' Perry turns to Gladys Knight, as "Wilma," a church elder who helps return "Tanya" to the spiritual roots that had once been her foundation. "Looking at going back, getting ready for my character and looking at the ladies like that that was in my life, you know. They were just the connection to the family and the church and the communities and that kind of stuff and there was service and spiritual testimonies and so that's how I try to play her." "I Can Do Bad All By Myself" is a love story that delivers a heavy dose of heartache ... trials that Perry audiences will understand, but ends after a long journey worth every trial and triumph.

http://www.thegrio.com/2009/09/documentary-series-explores-citys-challenges.php

New York City's murder rate has dropped nearly 15 percent compared to last year, according to the New York City Police Department. But East Harlem's 23rd Precinct is another story. There have been seven murders in that area this year, compared to two after nine months last year. Iesha Sekou knows all about crime statistics in Harlem. She is often among the first to arrive at crime scenes and console victim's families. "[The violence] stays in your head, you wake up with it, you go to sleep with it," Sekou said. "It's not easy to be at a site and you know that this is somebody's 15-year-old baby lying in a puddle of blood." Sekou is a community organizer in Harlem and tries to educate youth through her organization, Street Corner Resources. Street Corner Resources began nearly three years ago and provides youth activities, educational workshops and employment training. "We try to tell these kids that there are more options to life than killing," Sekou said. "But violence is glorified, not positive behavior. So it's hard to get the message through." A new documentary series, 'Brick City,' explores the same issues Sekou works on each day. The series is set less than 10 miles away in Newark, NJ. It follows the plight of Newark residents and officials as they work to reduce crime and improve the city's image. Newark Mayor Cory Booker is featured prominantly in the documentary. He said it is a constant struggle to get young people, especially young black males, to think positively of their future. "It's hard to communicate, to have them open their minds to possibility," Booker said. "It says in the Bible, 'without vision, the people will perish,' so if you have such a narrow vision of yourself and your life, you'll never expand to your full capacity." The five-part series is airing this week on Sundance Channel. Sekou said the series could help shine a positive light on people striving to impact their communities. "Violence is not exclusive to Harlem," Sekou said. "[The media] needs to show up when we are here working to effect change. Not just when bodies are down and crime scene tape is up."

http://www.thegrio.com/2009/09/david-patterson-and-politics-is-the-talk-at-the-shop.php

New York's Governor David Paterson is embattled with an all-time low approval rating, and it has been suggested by the White House that he should step aside and not run for election next year. Should President Obama back his fellow African-American Democrat and allow him to make his own decision on what is best for New York?

http://www.thegrio.com/2009/09/chris-paul-crossovers-into-childrens-books.php

NBA star Chris Paul is crossing over into children's books. Paul read his new book, "Long Shot: Never Too Small To Dream Big" to the kids at the NBA store in New York City. Paul, of the New Orleans Hornets and one of the shortest players in the NBA, wrote about his journey to the NBA and how he didn't let his small stature deter him from achieving his dream. Like most kids growing up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Paul dreamed of playing for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. Being such a 'pip squeak' most people told him he was crazy. "Growing up at home with my brother. My older brother was always telling me 'you can't come and play with me and his friends.' His friends would always tell me I couldn't play in college, let alone the NBA. I remember going to Carowinds (amusement parks) as a kid and being too short to get on the rides," said Paul. Paul's brother CJ, his manager and biggest supporter, said at the time Paul probably was too small. "Chris was 5'6 as a sophomore (High School). Once he hit a growth spurt the sky was the limit for him, the people that played point guard... he was their size," CJ said. CJ still considers his brother a little guy. He is listed at "6'0" (he joked he was "6'4" on a good day) playing in the NBA where the average height is "6'7", but feels that he just worked harder than players who were bigger than he was. "He was really, really feisty and that's what made him head and shoulders above a whole players. He was small but he always got the job done." Paul used the taunts of others as motivation to prove he had skills. He attended college at Wake Forrest in North Carolina and he took every opportunity to beat the Tar Heels and let them know what they missed out on. Now, heading into his 5th season, Paul is an all-star guard. In the 05-06 season, Paul was voted Rookie of the Year, and in 2008 he was a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic team. Chris Paul wants children that read his book to know that anything is possible. "Understand that the book is about basketball because it's me and that's what I do, but, in everything it may be school work, a job, business, anything. When people tell you it's a long shot to get this job, and you have to start from the bottom, if you believe and you know you work hard and you put the work ethic in, anything is possible...It's basketball for me, but for you it may be anything." http://www.thegrio.com http://www.thegrio.com/opinion http://www.thegrio.com/politics

http://www.thegrio.com/2009/09/young-911-victim-leaves-behind-legacy-of-scholars.php

On September 11, 2001, 11-year-old Asia Cottom was headed to California. She had been selected to attend a National Geographic Society ecology conference with other talented young students from around the country. Tragically, terrorists hijacked Cottom's plane and crashed into the Pentagon. No passengers survived. "My mind can't even fathom where [Asia] might be right now," said Michelle Cottom, Asia's mother. "Education was her thing, so the boundaries are endless." Asia's parents quickly created a scholarship fund in her name to provide financial assistance to college-bound students. The Asia SiVon Cottom Memorial Scholarship Fund has raised about $75,000 for more than a dozen students since 2002. Recipients receive a financial award their first year of college, in addition to other forms of assistance throughout their time in school. "It's not just a scholarship, it's not about money," said Clifton Cottom, Asia's father. "It's about family. I think we try to put family in everything we do." The scholarship and family support is helping young students like Lawrence Pulliam. Pulliam, 19, attends Montgomery College in Rockville, Md. He is enrolled in the college's computer gaming and simulation program. "[Asia] was a joyous person, liked to smile, liked to have fun," said Pulliam, who grew up with up with her. "[She] always put a smile on my face." Pulliam said he is determined to make the Cottom family proud by excelling at his schoolwork. "[The scholarship fund] is an opportunity for others to get an education and improve the quality of their lives," Pulliam said. "I think it's a great way to honor a life lost by helping others." Pulliam said he hopes to finish up his time at Montgomery, before transferring to University of Baltimore, where he will pursue a bachelors degree in digital simulation and entertainment. "I'm laying my foundation here [at Montgomery College]," Pulliam said. "I'm not done. [The scholarship] drives me to work hard."

http://www.thegrio.com/2009/09/shamed-to-silence-war-against-hivaids.php

According to data from the CDC, at the end of 2007, blacks accounted for almost half of the 1.1 million people living with HIV in America. Marline Hines works at New York City's oldest minority AIDS service organization, Faces, where she leads a women's support program called the Asha Project. Four hundred women have already passed through this program, which aims to help women address the emotional baggage that comes with the virus. The most common feeling? Shame. "Even in the process of role playing, they can't say it," Hines said. "Even though I'm not their daughter, it's hard for them to just say 'I'm positive.'" It's that kind of shame and secrecy that filmmaker Claudia Pryor witnessed while making the documentary, Why Us? Left Behind and Dying. "I learned that our internal secrecy and shame absolutely drives this in our community," Pryor told theGrio in a sit-down interview. "And probably the biggest thing I learned is that underlying that is a self-hatred and self-denigration that makes us feel that we are unworthy of being projected," Pryor said. "Why Us?" follows a group of inner-city Pittsburgh students as they investigate why HIV rates are so high in black communities. The students interviewed leading experts, people with the infection in their neighborhood, and activists, all while having their reactions to the study monitored. Tamira Noble is the narrator and was one of the students involved in the study. While working on this project, Noble learned that secrets hit close to home. "I didn't think I knew anyone with HIV, so it wasn't very personal," Noble said. "It became personal when I got involved because then all of these secrets started spilling from my own family. And that's when I found out that I had an uncle that died of HIV/AIDs. His name was Edward. I had never heard of him until I had started on this project. Then I found out one of my cousin also has HIV/AIDs and I wasn't even allowed to know this cousin until I joined this project." Keeping secrets under wraps is something Hines says is a value the black community has upheld for generations. "Black people has a culture that is southern, that is old-fashioned," Hines said. "What's said in the house, stays in the house." But those involved in getting the word out hope that despite this deep-seated tradition, their community will take ownership of their personal safety and get tested. "Just want people to see the film and get tested," Noble said. "I mean, if everyone could look it and learn something from it that's good. But if people learn from it and get tested then I've accomplished what we were trying to do.

http://www.thegrio.com/2009/09/cosby-talks-to-thegrio-about-his-tv-special-hip-hop-and-women.php

This Sunday Dr. Bill Cosby will hold a town hall discussion which will be broadcast live on MSNBC from Howard University. The two-hour event, entitled About Our Children, will address the nation's dilemmas concerning poverty, parenting, education, and health. The special will be moderated by Independent Women's Forum president and MSNBC political analyst Michelle Bernard. The town hall panelists will include Ben Jealous, President of the NAACP, Terrie Williams, author of "Black Pain" and Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. Dr. Cosby and Michelle Bernard sat down with David A. Wilson, managing editor of theGrio, to discuss this groundbreaking television event and issues that affect the black community and the country.