Roland S. Martin's Blog, page 194

Emergency Declared With Hundreds Unable To Return Home After Louisiana Freight Train Derailment

Source: Henry Austin / NBC News With hundreds of people unable to return to their homes Monday, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency as specialists continued to assess the wreckage of a derailed freight train that was leaking chemicals. More than 100 homes were evacuated after the 78-car Union Pacific locomotive came off the tracks [...]

UPDATE: Celebrities Take Action Against Florida’s Stand Your Ground Law In Wake Of Zimmerman Verdict

Source: April D. Ryan / AprilDRyan.com Last night I received an official statement from Alicia Keys’ publicist regarding a list I published on this website of entertainers who purportedly support Stevie Wonder’s boycott of Florida’s Stand Your Ground Law. Supporters hope the boycott pressures lawmakers. Kelly Bush, the publicist, emailed this statement: “We question the validity of [...]

WATCH! Trayvon Martin’s Father Speaks To Congressional Caucus On Black Men And Boys

The father of Trayvon Martin, Tracy Martin, tells black lawmakers he is now dedicated to making sure people know who his son was and to prevent the trial of George Zimmerman, the man who shot him dead but was acquitted, to define the youth. (July 24)

Trayvon Martin’s Father Tells Lawmakers He’s Not Done Fighting For His Son

Source: Justin Sink  / The Hill Trayvon Martin’s father told lawmakers Wednesday that he hoped conversations stemming from his son’s death would help “stop someone else’s child from being killed.” “My message to the world is that we won’t let this verdict sum up who Trayvon was,” Tracy Martin told the first-ever Congressional Caucus on Black [...]

Google Chromecast Turns Regular TVs Into Internet-Media Smart TVs

Source: Wilson Rothman / NBC News Google just revealed a tiny HDMI dongle that connects to your plain old, non-smart TV, letting you send YouTube videos, Netflix movies, Pandora music and other content from the Internet to the television, all controlled by a phone, tablet or laptop. The controlling device doesn’t stream the content to the [...]

South Carolina Looking Into Jadeveon Clowney-Jay Z Rumors

Source: Tony Santaella / USA Today COLUMBIA, S.C. – The University of South Carolina’s athletics department is looking into reports that star defensive end Jadeveon Clowney may have had contact with rap mogul Jay Z. Jay Z, who’s real name is Shawn Carter, has recently started a talent representative agency for athletes called Roc Nation [...]

Questlove Releases New Memoir: Mo’ Meta Blues (VIDEO)

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy The Roots drummer discusses his newly released memoir, “Mo’ Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove,” with NOW host Alex Wagner.

Hip Hop Icon Questlove Walked Off Gig After Trayvon Verdict: ‘Felt Like’ ‘I Was Watching My Own Trial’

Source: Noah Rothman / Mediaite In an appearance on MSNBC’s Now, hip hop icon and The Roots co-founder, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, told host Alex Wagner about his experiences in the immediate wake of the verdict which cleared George Zimmerman of criminal culpability for his role in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. Thompson told Wagner that he walked off of a performance [...]

Family Zimmerman Saved Won’t Appear With Him In Public, ‘Don’t Want To Be Associated With George’

Source:  Noah Rothman / Mediaite The family that George Zimmerman saved from an overturned vehicle earlier this week insists that, while they are thankful to the man recently acquitted by a Florida court for the murder of Trayvon Martin, they are terrified of being publically associated with him. Today, a spokesperson for Zimmerman attorney Mark O’Mara confirmed that the family will cancel [...]

Judge Overrules Both Challenges To Detroit Bankruptcy Filings

Source: Robert Snell, Mike Wilkinson and Chad Livengood / The Detroit News Detroit— A bankruptcy judge on Wednesday afternoon overruled objections to city’s bankruptcy filing, freezing several lawsuits filed against the city and allows the bankruptcy case to proceed in federal court with jurisdiction. U.S. District Judge Steven Rhodes also decided an automatic stay triggered by [...]