Roland S. Martin's Blog, page 292

WASHINGTON WATCH: Actor Jeffery Wright On His New Movie “Broken City” (VIDEO)

Roland Martin talks with actor Jeffery Wright about his new film “Broken City,” mixing politics and Hollywood. MR. MARTIN:  Welcome back. Hollywood loves a good political thriller.  The latest is “Broken City,” the story of an ex-cop; the mayor; his beautiful wife and, of course, a scandal. Take a look. [MOVIE TRAILER.] MR. MARTIN:  The [...]

THE SISTERHOOD: New Reality TV Show Takes A Look At Church Pastors’ Wives (VIDEO)

Church pastors’ wives, commonly known as “first ladies,” have been the subject of a lot of conversations on social media as a result of a new TLC reality series, “The Sisterhood.” The series focuses on the lives of five pastors’ wives from Atlanta. Whether you love or hate the series, it draws attention to a [...]

WASHINGTON WATCH: What Are The Specifics Of The New Black Agenda (VIDEO)

Last month dozens of Black leaders came to Washington, D.C., to discuss a black agenda for President Barack Obama’s second term. Black unemployment was just one of the five, key priorities outlined by the group. Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League; Melanie Campbell, president and CEO of the National Coalition for Black Civic [...]

House Approves $50.7 Billion For Superstorm Sandy Victims

Source: AP / The Washington Post WASHINGTON — The House has approved a $50.7 billion measure for Superstorm Sandy victims. The 241-180 vote sends the measure to the Senate which is expected to take it up next Tuesday. Northeast lawmakers from both parties have been pressing for the aid for more than two months. The [...]

Nailla Robinson, Philadelphia Girl Taken From School, Found Outside City

Source: AP / CBS News PHILADELPHIA — A 5-year-old girl who was taken from a Philadelphia school was found safe Tuesday morning just outside the city, police said. Upper Darby police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said a man walking down the street around 4:40 a.m. heard cries for help and found Nailla Robinson hiding under a [...]

N.Y. Governor Signs Nation’s First Gun-Control Bill Since Newtown

Source: David Ariosto / CNN New York  - Gov. Andrew Cuomo beefed up New York’s gun-control laws on Tuesday by signing into law a new package of firearm and mental health regulations that mark the nation’s first since last month’s massacre in Newtown, Connecticut. Cuomo, a self-described gun owner, said the December 14 tragedy spurred lawmakers [...]

1st Black Female Computer Science PhD Student At Univ. Of Michigan Reveals Lack Of Rolemodels

Source: Brittany Tom / theGrio “Am I really the first?” That was the first thought that came to mind when Kyla McMullen, 29, found out she would soon become University of Michigan’s first African-American female computer science PhD alumna this past year. McMullen decided to go to the records office to search for another fellow [...]

Oxygen Officially Cancels Shawty Lo’s Controversial ‘All My Babies’ Mamas’

Source:  Courtney Garcia and Chris Witherspoon / theGrio Recently there have been conflicting reports that the Oxygen network would be pulling Shawty Lo’s controversial reality series All My Babies’ Mamas from their network lineup before the show even hit the air. Oxygen has now officially decided to cancel the show. “As part of our development process, we have [...]

Coke Confronts Soda’s Link To Obesity In New Ad (VIDEO)

Source: CNN It’s a statistic we’ve been hearing far too often – and for far too long. Two-thirds of American adults are either overweight or obese – and the problem is only getting worse. Even Coca-Cola, the world’s largest beverage company, is now calling obesity “the issue of this generation.” The world’s most valuable brand [...]

Justice Clarence Thomas Speaks After Almost 7 Years Of Silence

Source: Mike Sacks / The Huffington Post On Monday morning, Justice Clarence Thomas broke nearly seven years of silence at Supreme Court oral arguments. Problem is, what he said was apparently so funny that you had to be there. Really — the court’s official transcript didn’t catch his words. Before Thomas spoke in Boyer v. Louisiana, Justice [...]