Baltimore Protester Confronts Local Fox Affiliate That Edited ‘Kill a Cop’ Chant

One Baltimore protester got to clear the air Monday night after a local Fox affiliate edited the chant she was leading to make it sound as if demonstrators were calling for the death of cops, Talking Points Memo reports.

WBFF apologized on Monday, inviting Tawanda Jones, the woman who was leading the chant at a Washington, D.C., protest, for a live interview to talk about the erroneous editing.

As TPM notes, Gawker originally caught the station editing the audio of the protest chant so that it sounded as if protesters were chanting “kill a cop.” The actual chant went, “We won’t stop, we can’t stop, till killer cops are in cell blocks.”

However, along with cutting the audio short, WBFF told its audience that the protesters were chanting, “We won’t stop, we can’t stop, so kill a cop.”

The station also issued a formal apology on its Facebook page. “We here at Fox45 work hard every day to earn your trust and bring you fair and comprehensive news from around the country. Although last night’s report reflected an honest misunderstanding of what the protesters were saying, we apologize for the error. We have deleted the story on our webpage and we offered to have Ms. Jones on Fox45 News at 5:00 tonight for a live interview,” the statement read in part.

While doing the live interview, Jones told the reporter that it was important for her to clear the air because she “cares about all people” and would never call for the murder of anyone.

Jones also took the opportunity to call out the station, asking how that mistake could possibly have been made. “The interesting part that really gets to me is where you guys edited it and stopped—like, how can that be a mistake? You stop right there, you don’t get … ‘until killer cops are in cell blocks’ until ‘cell blocks,’ so once you play that whole thing, you would know that’s not something being said,” Jones said. “We need good cops. … My community needs good cops. Nobody deserves to be brutally murdered.

“That’s why I never said all cops. I made sure I was strategic as to say killer cops belong in cell blocks, meaning that everybody should be held accountable for their actions,” she added.

Jones said that she was happy the station gave her the opportunity to set the record straight, but she also said she feared that the damage to her name and what she stands for had already been done. “At the end of the day, people’s lives are on the line,” she said. “Now, even though we’re doing this, I still don’t feel safe because I still feel like the message is out there.

“It’s sad to say, you never get a second chance to make a first impression,” she added. “I’ve never had my name tattered or torn on the media, ever. I don’t break the law, I live by the law. I’m a schoolteacher, I’m a mother and I fight for justice for the right cause. Right now my name is out there in a negative light, and I don’t know if that can ever be fixed.”

Toward the end of the interview, Jones started crying, saying that the station “murdered [her] all over again” by sullying her name.

“What if a crazed-out cop or a crazed-out supporter thinks I’m trying to get cops killed?” the devastated Jones said.

Read more at Talking Points Memo.

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http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2014/12/baltimore_protestor_confronts_local_fox_affiliate_that_edited_kill_a_cop.html

Journalist says athletes are $40 million Slaves

Journalist explains how athletes are 40 million dollar slaves

The book “40 Million Dollar Slaves” was written by Bill Rhoden from the New York Times. He says that, even though professional athletes make tons of money, they are still enslaved. This topic has gotten hot again after Donald Sterling of the Los Angeles Clippers made some racially-controversial statements this week.

The guests say that if you are not free to speak your mind and not free to do what you want, you are still a slave. Many athletes are not racially conscious, and if they were to speak up, they would be punished. Whites aren’t going to understand the issue, but it seems that this is a conversation that has to occur.

Do you think that athletes are 40 million dollar slaves or something else?

Many people complain that athletes are empty-minded, do nothing for the rest of the community and leave black people behind.

Do you agree?

The video below is pretty deep, and perhaps one that needs to be shared so that black people can have a conversation about our collective future.

http://blacklikemoi.com/2014/05/journalist-explains-athletes-40-million-dollar-slaves/

Sony Execs Warned Not to Cast Denzel Washington

Sony Execs Were Warned Not to Cast Denzel Washington Because Black Leads Flop Overseas

In a leaked email, an unnamed producer warns a Sony executive about casting Washington as a lead because of racism.

For the last two weeks, Sony has been dealing with the backlash that’s occurred since the emails of high-level executives were hacked and released. From emails calling Kevin Hart a whore to racist comments regarding President Barack Obama’s movie tastes, it’s safe to say that some of these executives are having the worst month ever.

But it’s not over, not by a long shot.

In recently released emails discovered by Radar Online, a Sony executive was on the receiving end of emails from a producer who warned the studio about casting Denzel Washington, stating that Washington should not be cast in films that will be played overseas because he’s black, so they’ll flop.

According to Radar, a producer, whose name was removed from the emails, sent the concerns to Sony Chairman and CEO Michael Lynton. In the emails, the producer suggested that Sony not cast black actors in films with an international market. “No, I am not saying The Equalizer should not have been made or that African-American actors should not have been used (I personally think Denzel is the best actor of his generation),” the producer stated in the email.

“I believe that the international motion-picture audience is racist—in general, pictures with an African-American lead don’t play well overseas,” the producer wrote. “But Sony sometimes seems to disregard that a picture must work well internationally to both maximize returns and reduce risk, especially pics with decent-size budgets.”

Ironically, The Equalizer went on to make $191 million at theaters worldwide, and almost half of the ticket sales were international.

Unlike the previous Sony emails, it’s unknown whether Lynton shared the same sentiments as the unnamed producer. But I’m sure it’ll be only a matter of days before this unnamed producer is actually named.

http://www.theroot.com/blogs/the_grapevine/2014/12/sony_execs_were_warned_not_to_cast_denzel_washington_because_black_leads.html?wpisrc=mostpopular

Benefits Of Alkaline Water

Benefits Of Alkaline Water

For years now, alkaline water has been a secret for a particular sect of individuals within the health conscious community, but as the organic food movement has crept into mainstream markets and the country is embracing healthier diets and lifestyles (thanks in part to the initiatives of the White House), this ionized water is becoming more popular.

You may be asking yourself, how is ionized water different from plain tap water or any other bottled water for that matter? If you have been curious about what alkaline water is exactly and how it can change your health for the better, then look no further because we have all the answers!

Here are a few facts about and benefits of alkaline water.

Hydrates on a cellular level
When the water is ionized, it is broken down into micro clusters that allow the cells of the body to absorb it more easily, thus “super hydrating” the body. When the body is hydrated properly by ionized water, cells can regenerate adequately and slow the process of aging by protecting against free radicals that can cause cell damage.

Detoxifies
Throughout the course of the day, our bodies take in a great deal of acidic chemicals, substances and foods that create toxins as a form of waste. These can build up in the body’s cells and tissues and cause serious health conditions. Alkaline water neutralizes the acidity within the body and washes away the acid waste products from the cells and tissues of the body, helping to prevent diseases such as cancer.

Brings the body into an alkaline pH
The proper level of pH for the healthy body is that of an alkaline state because cancer and many other illnesses can’t live in an alkaline state. Drinking alkaline water will help to keep the body’s pH in check, keep the immune system working at its highest potential to help the body heal itself, and will help with keeping your skin clear and digestive tract flowing. Bringing the body into the proper alkaline state is good for your overall organ and cellular functions.

Acts as an antioxidant
Alkaline water has the ability to give up electrons, and it is because of this characteristic that ionized water is able to seek out free radicals that can be damaging to the body and convert them into oxygen to be used for the body to produce energy and tissue oxygenation. Antioxidants are known for this very process of “seeking and neutralizing” free radicals, but now instead of eating a piece of fruit, you can drink your way to a healthier you.

Besides these major points, alkaline water has also been shown to aid in weight loss, improving mental clarity, reducing cholesterol, increasing energy and bone strength and curing the dreaded hangover from over drinking. If you want to incorporate alkaline water into your current diet, try the Avlacier brand. You can order the water by the case or by the bottle and have it shipped right to your front door. The best part is that this company is a black-owned business aimed at bettering urban communities through promoting healthier lifestyles. Take advantage of the wonder benefits of alkaline water and hydrate your life!

http://blackdoctor.org/432384/alkaline-water-benefits/

Q&A: What Is Chlorella?

Q&A: What Is Chlorella?

Q: What is chlorella? – D.D.

A: Chlorella is a type of algae that grows in fresh water. The plant is used to make nutritional supplements. Chlorella is used to prevent cancer, reduce radiation treatment side effects, stimulate the immune system, improve response to flu vaccine, increase white blood cell counts (especially in people with HIV infection or cancer), prevent colds, protect the body against toxic metals such as lead and mercury, and slow the aging process. It is also used to increase good bacteria in the intestine to improve digestion and helps treat ulcers, colitis, Crohn’s disease and diverticulosis.

This is a supplement and it can be safe if used short term (up to two months). The most common side effects include diarrhea, nausea, gas, green discoloration of the stools, and stomach cramping, especially in the first week of use. Chlorella has caused serious allergic reactions, including asthma and other dangerous breathing problems.

http://blackdoctor.org/431477/chlorella-benefits/

Six Easy Food Swaps to Improve Your Health Today

Six Easy Food Swaps to Improve Your Health Today

It’s easy to get more nutrients into your day if you can make just a few simple changes. Whether you want to look better, have more energy or lose weight, you these simple swaps can get you started on the path to wellness today.

1. Hit the bottle

…of water. Seriously, drinking more water is the simple easiest thing you can do immediately better your health. Staying hydrated helps reduce headaches, increase energy, aid digestion and rid your body of toxins, all day, everyday. So skip one soda and have water instead for a cheap and easy boost. If your someone who “doesn’t like water”, try getting a smallish glass and just knock back a few shots of this throughout the day. You’ll feel immediately refreshed after each one and you won’t have time to worry about the “taste”.

2. Sneak in some spinach

Popeye wasn’t messing around. Spinach is a cancer fighting superfood full of good stuff like vitamin A, K, Folate, Magnesium, Manganese and potassium. Forget the cans though, you can eat it raw, so grab yourself a big bag of baby leafs and swap out vitamin low lettuce on tacos, sandwiches and salads for some fresh spinach. It’s also a subtle addition to hot food like omelettes, pastas, stews and stir-frys.

3. Mix up your mash

Changing your normal mash potatoes for mashed sweet potatoes, you to go from 0% to 1000% of your daily recommended intake of vitamin A, including lots of beta-carotene for healthy skin, eyesight and even a lower risk of heart disease. Make a straight swap for a sweet mash or make it half and half for a more subtle flavor.

4. Honey I’m Yours

Ditch that sugar for some honey…honey. Think of ice tea, oatmeal, granola or toast with cinnamon as opportunities to add some antioxidant rich, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal awesomeness to your day.

5. Best Dressed

Eating more salad is a wonderful way to start getting healthier, that is unless it’s swimming in ranch dressing. I know it tastes good, just 2 tablespoons of the white stuff can have up to 14g of fat – gram for gram that’s more than a Milky Way bar. So what do you do? Try a bit of lemon and a little extra virgin olive oil. Lemon is a refreshing palette cleanser and a little bit of EVOO can do wonders for your heart, skin and digestion.

6. Corny or what?

Corn is a carb. Whether it’s corn on the cob, frozen or canned, if you’ve already got some rice, potatoes, pasta, or bread on your plate, you can do yourself a world of good by swapping out the corn for something green. Try broccoli, string beans, or collards for something full of essential minerals and tasty enough to make sure you don’t feel like you’re missing out on anything delicious.

http://www.clutchmagonline.com/2014/03/six-easy-food-swaps-improve-health-today/

8 Beauty Uses For Baking Soda

8 Beauty Uses For Baking Soda

There is an inexpensive staple found in almost everyone’s kitchen that doubles as an awesome beauty product: BAKING SODA!!! Here are eight ways that baking soda can easily become the newest addition to your beauty routine.

Got sweat?
Make a water and baking soda paste and apply it as a deodorant. Not only is this an all natural way to keep the funk away, it also prevents those nasty sweat stains you get sometimes.

Clean that hair
If you are like me and love to co-wash, you know that it’s important to monitor your build-up. Adding baking soda to your shampoo will help get rid of it.

Whiten that smile
Want whiter teeth? Try making a natural solution by mixing a tablespoon of baking soda and five drops of hydrogen peroxide. Add water until you have a paste consistency. Apply this solution to you toothbrush and rub on your teeth. Allow the solution to sit on teeth for 5-10 minutes. Be sure to brush throughly afterwards. This solution works best when done once weekly.

Revive your cuticles
Are your cuticles dry and rough? Do you hands look like you work on a construction site? Use a baking soda and water mixture to create a paste. Rub this solution on your cuticles. This softens the skin almost immediately.

Exfoliant
Baking soda is great at removing dead skin cells. In order to create this all natural exfoliant just add water and scrub on your face. The best part about this is there are no chemicals!

Blackheads
Did you know that baking soda is great way to draw out blackheads? Take a teaspoon of baking soda and water and rub on face. Let sit and then use an extractor or fingers, apply pressure to push the blackheads out of your skin.

Detox Bath
Combine baking soda with sea salt and your favorite essential oil, and you have a great calming detoxing bath mixture.

Dry Shampoo
Need to cleanse your scalp, but no time to do a full shampoo? Sprinkle some baking soda onto your hair and massage. This will help get rid of some of the greasiness.

http://kissthechaos.com/baking-soda-beauty-uses/

Build Your Essential Oils Starter Kit

Build Your Essential Oils Starter Kit

“Where do I start?!” With the vast amount of essential oils to choose from, you might be asking yourself that question. Use these tips to build a custom starter kit to bring essential oils into your home and watch them change your life.

How Will You Use Your Oils
It’s best to start with the oils that are most useful to your personal needs. For example, if you are preparing to overhaul your kitchen and attic, or want to do some spring cleaning naturally, you might decide that an essential oil in the antiseptic family like lemon, pine or tea tree are more appropriate.

On the other hand, if you are seeking to use an essential oil for relaxing, meditating or personal hygiene, then you might want to try something like lavender, frankincense, patchouli, or ylang ylang. Other oils like eucalyptus and rosemary are great for the medicine cabinet and can help when your muscles are sore from strains, sprains or over working.

Include Carrier Oils
Other additions to your starter kit should be carrier oils like jojoba oil, organic virgin coconut oil or aloe vera. Aloe vera, which encourages skin rejuvenation, healing of wounds and treatment of sunburn, is also used to help in relieving arthritis pain, improving blood circulation, reducing scarring, and has anti-inflammatory properties. It is a very important carrier oil because it is naturally hypoallergenic with about the same pH balance of the skin.

Start Small
When you start using essential oils it’s important to start small with maybe three oils. Below is a list of five for simple enjoyment and personal care.

Lavender: The sweet aroma, relaxant and antimicrobial properties make it the most versatile of the essential oils. It has antibiotic, sedative and antidepressant properties. It is known to stimulate the immune system. A calming oil, which treats insomnia and headaches, lavender is also renowned for its ability to hasten the healing of wounds. Serene and bucolic in style, lavender can be used throughout the day to relieve stress.

Eucalyptus: Some of its many properties include analgesic, antiseptic, deodorant and expectorant. Its anti-infectious and wound healing properties make it a must-have household item. With metropolitan air quality declining, this environmental air purifier should be in widespread use. Keep the air clean with eucalyptus oil…start diffusing it today!

Tea Tree: A powerful antiseptic for its great value to help with concentration. It can be used to combat bacteria and it is excellent for skin conditions, such as acne. Tea Tree is the most used first-aid oil in the practice of alternative medicine. It seeks to cure infections like sunlight removing shadows. Every medicine cabinet should have a bottle.

Lemon: Lemon is recognized universally as antiseptic and antibacterial. Lemon is known to stimulate the lymphatic and digestive system. Writing in her 1931 book on herbal medicine, Maude Grieve says, “The lemon is the most valuable of all fruit for preserving health.”

Peppermint: From childhood, we’re all familiar with the uplifting and refreshing scent of peppermint. Reports are abundant on its properties to improve digestion, to reduce minor headaches and it also acts as a stimulant when fatigue sets in.

Dried herbs, spring water and a great diffuser should be included in this kit as well.

http://blackdoctor.org/436891/essential-oils-kit/

No Milk: How To Get Your Calcium Without Dairy

No Milk: How To Get Your Calcium Without Dairy

Being dairy-free can be a challenge. It is a challenge to get in your daily calcium when you are not drinking milk or eating yogurt. Young women should get around 1,000mg of calcium per day and that can be very hard to do when you are dair-free. Calcium can help to build strong bones and teeth and is also great for a healthy heart. Here are some foods that you can buy at the grocery store that are not dairy foods but will still give you a great amount of calcium.

1. Salmon: If you eat the canned salmon there are small edible bones that are packed in there. Those little bones are full of calcium. You can get around 180mg per serving. Not only that but you will get a healthy dose of omega-3s which are great for your skin and your hair.

2. White beans: There are many different types of white beans but just half a cup of any of them will give you 113mg of calcium per serving. They are great to throw in a salad and in chili. They also make a great hummus if you don’t like chickpeas. Along with the calcium you get protein as well.

3. Tofu: This is one of the best non-dairy foods that will give you a ton of calcium. Just one serving of tofu has over 258mg in just half a cup. This is the same amount as in a cup of yogurt.

4. Kale: Kale is a delicious green leafy vegetable that is great in salad or on its own as a side dish. Per serving you will get 60mg per cooked half cup. While that may not sound like much you can add it to every meal of the day and it will start to add up.

5. Chinese cabbage: Also known as Napa cabbage, this leafy veggie has a huge amount of calcium. In just one half-cup serving you will get 239mg of calcium.

6. Sardines: Just like the salmon there are tiny but edible bones in sardines that can rack up the calcium. You will get 185mg per two ounce serving as well as protein and omega-3s.

http://www.healthyblackwoman.com/no-milk-how-to-get-your-calcium-without-dairy/

9 Things You Don’t Know About Sugar

9 Things You Don’t Know About Sugar

While it’s been widely noted that excess sugar can increase the overall risk for heart disease, a 2013 study in the Journal of the American Heart Association displayed evidence that sugar can actually affect the pumping mechanism of your heart and could increase the risk for heart failure.

Adolescent obesity rates have tripled in the past 30 years and childhood obesity rates have doubled. One factor that seems to inflict obese children is fat accumulation in the trunk area of the body. Why? One cause may be the increase in fructose-laden beverages. A 2010 study in children found that excess fructose intake (but not glucose intake) actually caused visceral fat cells to mature.

Move over salt and hypertension, you’ve got competition. Sugar, as it turns out, is just as much of a silent killer. A 2008 study found that excess fructose consumption was linked to an increase in a condition called leptin resistance. Why the silent killer? Because it all happens without symptoms or warning bells.

It’s hard to talk about sugar without talking about insulin. That’s because insulin is sugar’s little chaperone to the cells, and when too much of it is consumed, or our insulin does not work (probably because we’re eating too much sugar) and the body revolts.

A recent study of 579 individuals showed that those who had genetic changes in a hormone called ghrelin consumed more sugar (and alcohol) than those that had no gene variation. Ghrelin is a hormone that tells the brain you’re hungry. Researchers think that the genetic components that effect your ghrelin release may have a lot to do with seeking a neurological reward system through your sweet tooth.

Evidence shows that fructose and glucose in excess can have a toxic effect on the liver, as the metabolism of ethanol — the alcohol contained in alcoholic beverages — had similarities to the metabolic pathways that fructose took. Further, sugar increased the risk for several of the same chronic conditions that alcohol was responsible for.

When I think back on my childhood, I remember consuming more sugar than I probably should have. I should have enjoyed my youth back then, because unfortunately, all the sugar may have accelerated the aging process. A 2009 study found a positive relationship between glucose consumption and the aging of our cells. A 2012 study found that excess sugar consumption was linked to deficiencies in memory and overall cognitive health.

While many people strive to avoid the “normal” sugary culprits (candy, cookies, cake, etc.), they often are duped when they discover some of their favorite foods also contain lots of sugar. Examples include tomato sauce, fat-free dressing, tonic water, marinades, crackers and even bread.

A 2013 study estimated that 180,000 deaths worldwide may be attributed to sweetened beverage consumption. The United States alone accounted for 25,000 deaths in 2010. The authors summarize that deaths occurred due to the association with sugar-sweetened beverages and chronic disease risk such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

http://blackdoctor.org/playlist/9-things-you-dont-know-about-sugar/item/435445